I can not believe that I have not found the time to write for MONTHS. I remember I kept saying….I will get to it. I had something kind of odd happen several months ago. To the point where it not only alarmed me, it made me ask myself….am I putting too much out there? That is when I decided to be free of everything social media for a bit and I mean ALL OF IT. The first few days were rough, I felt disconnected, I felt alone. After about three days I felt better, I felt free, I felt like it was just me running my own race….aware of what was around me, but becoming better about how I wanted the information to affect my decisions. I did not tweet (well maybe one or twice), Facebook, blog…..any of it. I discovered a few things throughout thisprocess.The end result is that I noticed I felt very clear about “things”. I realized I DON”T have to tweet, update my status on FB, blog,etc. all of the time. While it is important to stay connected, it is also important to recognize when too much is too much. When I decided to get “social” again, it was with a new and fresh perspective.
So here are some tips that you can work on while you are doing your social media “fasting” and keep you happy:
1.Forgive
My ex husband and I have had our ups and downs. When he left, I was in survival mode. One day I realized that instead of blaming him for everything, I started to look back at me. Working on my MBA has taught me what it takes to be a leader and habits that have to be cultivated in order for this to happen. During this process I had an “AH HA!” moment. During one of our conversation, I found myself actually forgiving him, in turn I forgave myself for not being able to make the marriage work. This created a shift in our relationship and how we now communicate with each other. If I had not taken the steps to forgive I would not have been able to release those negative emotions that can block creativity. I was able to get rid of the negativity while at the same time allowing more space for positive emotions!
2. Treat everyone with kindness
You ever notice how someone holds the door for you, that two seconds later you find yourself holding the door for someone else? It is truly amazing how a smile and kindness are contagious…..so Kindness Pass it On!
3. ^&#$ Hits the Fan
Think about this is whatever problem you are facing a road block or is it merely a challenge? We all hate them. I am cool dealing with other people’s problems, but when my own ^$#& hits the fan, TAKE COVER! When I started considering my problems as a challenge and something everyone goes through at one point or another, I realized that I had to work on how I react to a problem. The first thing was understanding that everything is figure-out-able. You just have to quiet your mind long enough to figure it out. When you do, you will be amazed at how much less stressed you are.
4. Be Grateful
Things may suck right now for you, but find appreciation in every single thing. I knew someone who was dying, she wrote a letter to everyone on her very last day of being aware. She was crying when she wrote it. The bottom line was that she learned that the beauty of life was not all of the crappy negative things that happen, but to focus on the beauty of the color of the sky, or the people around you, or the tiny leaf blowing in the wind. When you do that, you will find beauty all around and be a much happier person. I never forgot that letter, I have also learned to find at least one speck of beauty in every situation. Ok I am not perfect at it, but I am getting there!!
5. Dream big
Lastly, dream as big as you want! Who said dreams do not come true? So dream big and be happy!