Sometimes our minds are battlegrounds. We think. As soon as the alarm rings every morning, seemingly hundreds of stimuli vie for control of our precious brain-space. The billboards battle against traffic for our concentration as we head to work or school. Emails, text messages, and notifications command our attention constantly throughout the day. Teachers, coworkers, friends, and family fight against errands, deadlines, headlines, and personal time—all demanding our focus. We all know it's hard to stay driven about something when you do not know why you're even doing it or even what you're doing is for. This makes it very easy to lose your motivation and focus, detouring you from your own path of GREATNESS. Not comparing to another's. We ALL want to elevate or should. This BLOG discusses the importance of being consciously awoke and aware of who YOU are, for it leads us to a journey of purpose. Something I feel we have lost sight of due to the time, attention, and power we give to social media. We should be conscious of who we are before we attempt to master who we are online.
All things about social media are not bad when used the right way. Social media allows us to be expressive, stay connected, as well as build a brand. This is what Mark Zuckerberg, creator of FACEBOOK, had in vision when birthing the popular platform. “The research shows that when we use social media to connect with people we care about, it can be good for our well-being. We can feel more connected and less lonely, and that correlates with long-term measures of happiness and health,” says Mark on a Facebook post back in 2018. I agree. It is a great way to connect with like minds, have healthy debate, and over all just benefit from it, but only when used in the right ways. Too much time of anything being used in wrong way can become detrimental to end results involving ourselves. The same thoughts can apply here about social media. The more time we spend in the digital world of who we are, the less we face the reality of who we are. We become more like of the interactions that we encounter “Our brain constructs a model of the world from interactions with our environment. If all our interactions are one-sided, then our brain’s model will be biased,” says Don Vaughn, a neuroscientist at the department of Psychology. The more we time we spend becoming the thoughts from another, the less time we have becoming our true selves.
This brings me to my next point, which is how we give too much power and attention to these platforms. Where attention goes, energy flows. We allow them to control aspects of who we are that we shouldn’t. Detouring us further away from our own chosen paths. This tends to create mental challenges with self and life itself. Have you ever had something set in your mind that was going to make you better? Then right before you act towards that very thing, someone or something makes you second guess it; then you completely disregard it? I have! And what affected me most was the regret I had towards myself. Continuously hanging on to the should’ve and could’ve of the situation. Social media exposes us to this very scenario quite too often. Giving other access to influence that may not be health and best for our personal growth and well-being. We need to take our power back from influence and redirect that attention to self, and all that needs to happen for us to accept as well as become mindful of who we truly are at heart. It is time to unlearn and relearn these repeated patterns.
How do we break the cycle? The solution may be to pay better attention, not to pay more attention. The answer may be mindfulness. Mindfulness is purposeful, non-judgmental awareness built from paying attention to our present environment, physical sensations, thoughts, and feelings. In addition to awareness, mindfulness also comes from acceptance. Being mindful does not mean shutting your mind from the world. Instead of blocking thoughts and feelings from happening, we could choose instead to recognize them, accept them, and then let them go. Through this process we can learn to improve our ability to focus on one thing at a time. Focus on self! Mindfulness holds an influential bearing in the preservation of mental health and has led to significant improvement in mild to moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Mindfulness habits found within creative outlets provide an essential facet on our mind, body, and soul harmony. Find that balance with self and reality, don’t let people and things find it for you. You are in control. We all just must realize how important is to connect with self as well as others.
Be conscious of who you are in reality, before you attempt to master who you are online. Stand up for our own experience with life, whether it's in the form of clearing your social media of who no longer serves your greater good. Lingering relationships can be negative, affecting sleep, mental health, and responsibilities. So, if I don’t lift you up, cut it out. Allow some space for new and more beneficial connections that matter. Become comfortable with this process, before you realize, you and your life will be in your hands and no one could ever dictate that again.
CITE
Ahmed, S. (2019, November 17). 5 types of people to unfriend on social media. CNN.com. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/17/us/national-facebook-unfriend-day-trnd/index.html
Gould, W.R. (2019, October 21). Are you in a social bubble? Here's how to tell. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/problem-social-media-reinforcement-bubbles-what-you-can-do-about-ncna1063896
Zuckerberg, Mark (2018) Facebook post. https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10104413015393571
Vaughn, Don (2018) donvaughn.com http://www.donvaughn.com/
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