Push Positive!

So you may have noticed I have been gone for a month.  Well, I have a perfectly good reason… or two.  My well-working computer died a horrible death.  Heartbreaking, I know.  It was my super awesome laptop that I got to review a couple years ago.  Boys are hard on electronics.  Period.  As much as I try to keep my stuff away from them, they are sneaky, and clumsy.  My poor laptop chord has been tripped over so many times it shorted out and in turn blew out the motherboard.  So I have been a month in morning over the death of a good companion.  It is true I still have my desk top.  However, it’s on it’s last leg and every few minutes the screen shuts off.  So it makes it hard to finish a post, you can imagine.

As parents of 4 kiddos, paying off student loans, a mortgage, and other expenses, we don’t have extra money kicking around to just buy a new one.  I wish we did.  But with a back fence we need to weatherize and a family vacation coming up, Cat’s laptop needs are going to have to wait.

But there is something I have been meaning to write for a while now, something that has been on my mind daily… and it was important enough to try to type a post between screen outages.

Maybe it’s just my social media feed, but lately the negativity and rudeness of people has really been stressing me out.  I used to look forward to waking up and seeing what amazing things my friends around the world were up to.  Now, I wake up to this:

1.  Tragic and horrible news stories.

2.  Random studies that prove the point of the poster to an in-you-face level.  If you don’t believe what they believe you are basically Satan’s minion and you’re going to every level of Hell.  (For every study you post, I can find 5 that say the complete opposite, so your not really proving anything, just being a jerk).

3.  Intolerant, mean, and ignorant political stuff from BOTH sides of the aisle.

4.  A lot of hate and hypocrisy.

Am I alone in feeling tired of it?  I try to stay away, but for the handful of friends who post lovely things and wonderful pictures and insightful and inspiring videos and thoughts, I get on.  I get on for my family and friends that are so far away.  I miss them terribly.

I made a goal a few months ago.  I decided only to post positive things.  No matter how much life sucked right now, I was going to look for silver linings.  I’m not talking about being “fake” or pretending like my life is perfect.  There is nothing wrong with having a bad day and asking for prayers or positive vibes being sent your way.  There is nothing wrong with letting people know you have struggles and what’s going on.  That’s a huge part of social media… is connecting with people on all levels.  What I’m talking about is posting things that won’t hurt others.  People are pretty set in their ways these days, honestly, there isn’t much I think you can post that will change anyone’s political views, or the way they are raising their kids.  There is just so much fighting and contention, it makes me want to go hide under a rock.  Life is too short to harbor feelings of anger towards one another.

I made a goal to share things that mean something to me.  Videos, pictures, quotes, things that make me feel happy and good.  I don’t just share them either, I like to give some of my personal thoughts.  I wake up and think, what can I do today to make someone smile?  Or how can I be an answer to someone’s prayer?  And that is what is on my mind when I face social media these days.

Sometimes I get blocked or unfriended.  I know I do.  We all do.  Many times when I share something about my faith.  People, I am not trying to convert anyone.  I am simply sharing thoughts that have helped me and put my life and goals into perspectives… and I am pretty sure my other Christian friends and friends of other faiths and beliefs feel the same way when they post things that are meaningful to them.  Try not to let it bother you when people block or unfriend you… it usually isn’t you, it’s them — even if it is hurtful.

I made it a goal to stay “funny” and have a healthy sense of humor.  I put that in quotes because many times I am the only one laughing at my cleverness.  (Your loss).  I keep my humor clean.  Little eyes are everywhere.  I can’t tell you how many times I have had to block people or their posts for posting nasty things and my kids saw it looking over my shoulder.  Uncool.

I know we live in a scary world.  I know that I can’t hide in a bubble.  But I can have some control of my environment and the people with whom I choose to surround myself.

So I challenge you.

Push the Positive.

Think before you post or comment: will this hurt someone?  Will I cause anger and contention by saying this?  Am I setting a good example by sharing this?

Many will argue that it is “man’s nature” to act one way or the other.  But I believe we can conquer our “nature” and be better than what is only expected of us.  Who wants to be mediocre?  Not me!  I want to be extraordinary, don’t you??

So that’s my challenge.  Be extraordinary.  Flood the social media with wonderful things.  Make people feel good about themselves.  Be an answer to someone’s prayers.  Be that person that people get on social media to follow.  This world needs good, positive people.  Heaven knows, I need good, positive people in MY life!

Be THAT person and accept my challenge!

-Cat