Getting My &*#@ Together Series: I’m Under the Influence

Social media is a gift and a curse!

I just wanted to throw that out there first to keep us on track. I promise we’ll come back to it.

Every week I tell myself “I’m going to write about this next week”, but the week unfolds and something else comes to mind, so at this point I’m just going to go with the flow of how the universe brings me things to talk about.

So this week was supposed to be about self-care. I had my agenda for taking care of me all set; Saturday went well. I bought some things to makeover (or at least improve on a budget) my workspace, spent some time with the people I love most in this world, came home, cleaned, and sat down to start doing what I love to do: making shyt.

In the midst of frolicking in my happy place, one of my favorite people came by. We did our usual converse, chill, chop the proverbial “it” up about everything from our respective love lives to Black Panther to podcasts.

Then out of the blue,

We both said in almost unison,

“I think the podcasts and social media are starting to influence the way I see the world.”

It was one of those moments when you know you’ve been feeling a ways for a while, but didn’t know how to put words to it … and then BOOM! The words to articulate how you feel come flying at you like a <insert metaphor here>.

Now we rewind to the top of this post, “Social media is a gift and a curse.”

I have a Facebook account, Instagram, and listen to so many podcasts every week that I always run out of data. So all day long, I’m inundated with other people’s thoughts, feelings, opinions, and emotions. And while I’m secure in who I am and what I think, I have to admit that it has a slight effect on how I see the world. For example, I went to see Black Panther a few weeks ago; thought it was great. A few days later, I listened to a podcast and the host brought up some valid points about some plot holes and I have to admit that it slightly changed how I looked at the movie.

It got me to thinking, if that can happen, what’s happening to my thought process as I’m scrolling and posting and liking and sharing.

I’m not saying we’re walking around like mindless zombies (at least some of us), bending to the slightest whim of what someone else presents to us. What I am saying is that we need to be careful what we’re giving permission to plant seeds in our minds.

For folks like trying to grow their social media presence like myself and use it for the gifts it has to offer, this can be difficult. Shyt, just because you post or participate in things that don’t feed my soul, doesn’t mean that you won’t like the pictures I take or paint or buy my books.

What it does mean, however, is that I need to expand the things I expose myself to and ensure that the negative is infused with the positive; that there’s a healthy balance of ratchetness and righteousness; that when I talk, I’m not just regurgitating what I heard somewhere else.

Our brains are a tools;

We have to make sure we’re exercising it.

… Feed it good things;

So it can give us back good things.

And not just what someone else thinks it should be giving you.

Everything we see shapes us and pushes us; I just think we all need to be cautious about making sure we’re being pushed in the right direction.

Until next time, folks.

Love and light,

Erin