This week I found myself drifting out of consciousness thinking about other people and their lives. Luckily, it's not too often anymore, but it usually means I have reluctantly sat on Facebook for the last 30 minutes and seen people rave about how great life is, smart their kids are, lucky they are, and so on. It it makes me start to think at times, "what I am doing wrong?"
(Have you ever read the studies about social media? There are several out there. They actually prove that the more you use Facebook the worse you feel. Liking other people's pictures and content is more likely to lead to negative self-comparisons. So, you are not crazy if you feel a little less happy when you leave your social media outlet than when you arrived.)
Luckily, all the meditative work I do clicked in. The meditative and conscious muscle reactivated and reality returned. I even heard a great voice of wisdom in my head say, "look at all you have, not what others want you to think they have!" And in that moment, my constricted awareness ceased and my happiness and gratitude returned. Ugh! I really hate that yucky envious vibe when i get it. It makes me appreciate the grateful vibe so much more though. So, as much as we dislike the negative vibe, by never experiencing it, we would never be grateful for the positive vibe!
So, first of all, don't be one to boast about your life. If it's all groovy, good for you, but the rest of us don't need to know all the fluff. Commercials on TV can make us feel less that adequate without your help. Save your energy for donating to the Humane Society Ads on Facebook or actually calling people to wish them happy birthday. Second, if you must sit on Facebook, don't let those people suck you in to thinking their lives all rainbows and unicorns. No one has that life. We all have struggles. We all have heartaches. We all have bad days.
If you find yourself sulking in the "what I am doing wrong" vibe like I was, immediately stop and name three 3 you are grateful for. Your vibe will shift. And believe me, SHIFT Happens! :)
