Scrolling through social media has become like browsing through a gallery displaying images of everyone you know, and some you don't know, in settings you barely recognize them in. Posed photos with "inspirational" captions are what appear on our screens most of the time. As if they're curating their life to appear to be nothing but perfection that just so happens to be captured "candidly" at that exact moment. An assortment of selfies at the right angle that hides self-professed imperfections. A casual pose in the middle of an awe-inspiring background that only took 13 takes to get right. And tied to it, a beautifully written inspirational caption. Followed by a series of hashtags playing the role of a punchline. #truth. #lifelessons. #pause. #goals.
What is it that we're trying to be? Are we this narcissistic that we believe others will be inspired by our posts? I usually think of the same joke when I happen to come across these posts while scrolling.
"Go ahead and post the vain picture of you, no need for the inspirational quote, you're not changing anyone's life."
But what about these social media celebrities? The ones that sell out arenas and people pay for transformational programs or "how to" classes? Hold on, boo boo, are you comparing yourself to professionals? That's like asking to sub in for Aaron Rodgers for a snap because you grew a beard and look good in green and gold. Do you know how many years of experience he has? Do you know how many hours studying offensive schemes and reading defenses he has under his double check discount belt? Are you going to sing backup for Ariana Grande because you're really good singing her songs on your commute to work?
These are all questions that the we, in the "instant gratification" culture, fail to ask . We are not willing to put in the work, the repetitions, the motions, the failures and successes, let alone any sort of consistency. Professionals don't make it to that level by chance or talent alone. There are a lot of talented athletes sitting on the couch wasting away their talents. There are a lot of talented speakers or singers sitting in silent cubicle jobs. There's a lot of talented people who work at a call center.
I don't bring this up to demean any jobs or careers, but to show that those that we admire and sometimes even try to emulate, didn't get there by chance. They worked hard for it, not once or twice, but consistently for a long period of time. And once they got to where they wanted, they worked even harder to keep the competition one step behind them. Long nights, and early mornings training, practicing, knocking doors, sending letters, meeting people and perfecting their craft.
What have you done to inspire anyone? For most of us the answer is nothing. You think a post and a caption are going to make a difference? Don't get me wrong, if you're not wanting to make a difference go on your merry way and be happy. There's nothing wrong with that, but why pretend? But for those that want to reach people, inspire, transform, change, guide or coach anyone towards success, get off your screen. Turn off social media for a minute and put in the work. Reach out to someone. Find a mentor. Put in the hours. The days. The years. Get really good at something. Achieve goals. Overcome hardships, challenges and failures. Learn a skill, develop it and make something meaningful with it. This world already has too many pretty pictures captioned with empty words, we don't need more of that. In a world that's becoming increasingly virtual, we need more real, but you have to be present to be real. Become a problem solver for others. Real problems, not petty dramas. But more importantly, become an accomplished individual, in whatever field you choose or happen to be thrown into. Allow your man-hours to speak for you. Then you can speak from experience. Then you can really inspire lives. Then you can really make a difference.
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| This isn't even me |
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