I should be sleeping. I have had a nasty cold for a few days and I have a long day of work tomorrow. Yet there are thoughts bouncing around my head I feel I need to write down before I will rest.
The past year and a half of my life have been quite the roller coaster at times. It is not easy for me to admit when things are difficult. It is even harder for me to ask for help. So I am not great at asking. I often fumble when I reach out to friends or family. Usually it seems easiest to not ask for help.
I think that has become even easier these days with 'social media'. I am on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and have this blog. Some days I can barely keep up with it all. I have a full time job that requires a lot of mental and emotional energy. For the introvert in me, that takes almost all the energy I have. I love having a quiet night in to refresh and recharge. Yet that is happening less and less.
As I try to manage life on this roller coaster and allow myself to think I have some sort of obligation to 'check in' on social media, I find I am more tired. I know, no one is forcing me to participate in these places. It is my own choice. I do enjoy keeping up with friends and family I do not see often because they live in a different province or country. I absolutely LOVE seeing photos of my friends' children!!! I am blessed to have lots of little people in my life. I miss them when I do not see them for a while and Facebook is sometimes a great way to keep up with their new adventures as they grow. I love seeing parents who love their children, husbands who love their wives, wives who love their husbands, people who love changing the world around them, and those who celebrate amazing personal success - whether it be an exciting new job, finishing a degree, travelling somewhere exciting, or running a half marathon.
What I find hard is when communication is misunderstood. People matter to me. People matter a lot to me. I care very much about the people in my life. I care a lot about what they are going through, how they are doing, and what they think about things. I also have my own opinions. I am on a journey that is not always easy. Sometimes I share an opinion or experience that is hard and face judgement. That is difficult for me because it is not so easy to rectify as often those disagreeing with me are not able to sit and have an in-person conversation with me. I would much prefer to sit down with someone over a cup of tea and discuss deeper issues. When I share thoughts in public, it is more just a thought. It is my own. I am not speaking as the ultimate authority. I am just speaking as me. I appreciate discussion. I value the thoughts of those around me, even if they are very different. Sometimes I think it is those who differ in opinion with me that are even more vital to have in my life.
Yet how do I cultivate more of those in-person relationships? If I can not, because of time or distance, how then can I use social media to nurture them in the mean time?
The past year and a half of my life have been quite the roller coaster at times. It is not easy for me to admit when things are difficult. It is even harder for me to ask for help. So I am not great at asking. I often fumble when I reach out to friends or family. Usually it seems easiest to not ask for help.
I think that has become even easier these days with 'social media'. I am on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and have this blog. Some days I can barely keep up with it all. I have a full time job that requires a lot of mental and emotional energy. For the introvert in me, that takes almost all the energy I have. I love having a quiet night in to refresh and recharge. Yet that is happening less and less.
As I try to manage life on this roller coaster and allow myself to think I have some sort of obligation to 'check in' on social media, I find I am more tired. I know, no one is forcing me to participate in these places. It is my own choice. I do enjoy keeping up with friends and family I do not see often because they live in a different province or country. I absolutely LOVE seeing photos of my friends' children!!! I am blessed to have lots of little people in my life. I miss them when I do not see them for a while and Facebook is sometimes a great way to keep up with their new adventures as they grow. I love seeing parents who love their children, husbands who love their wives, wives who love their husbands, people who love changing the world around them, and those who celebrate amazing personal success - whether it be an exciting new job, finishing a degree, travelling somewhere exciting, or running a half marathon.
What I find hard is when communication is misunderstood. People matter to me. People matter a lot to me. I care very much about the people in my life. I care a lot about what they are going through, how they are doing, and what they think about things. I also have my own opinions. I am on a journey that is not always easy. Sometimes I share an opinion or experience that is hard and face judgement. That is difficult for me because it is not so easy to rectify as often those disagreeing with me are not able to sit and have an in-person conversation with me. I would much prefer to sit down with someone over a cup of tea and discuss deeper issues. When I share thoughts in public, it is more just a thought. It is my own. I am not speaking as the ultimate authority. I am just speaking as me. I appreciate discussion. I value the thoughts of those around me, even if they are very different. Sometimes I think it is those who differ in opinion with me that are even more vital to have in my life.
Yet how do I cultivate more of those in-person relationships? If I can not, because of time or distance, how then can I use social media to nurture them in the mean time?
For me, I think of all forms of communication (social media in its various forms, texting, phoning, face-to-face etc.) as tools. And you need the right tool for the right job. (No need to kill a fly with a hammer and all that.) What I'm saying is that if deeper issues get misunderstood in social media, maybe it's not the right tool for the job. Just a thought. :)
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