How to know if you should speak up when others tell you to, or when you feel like it
Recently I took some time off social media recently, to connect with myself, be present and alone to contemplate what I want to accomplish & who I want to be in this year.
I didn't make any grand announcement about going offline because, let's be honest, we're so wrapped up in our own stories and portrayal of how we come across online that do we even notice when someone is offline for a week? 😆😂
This break is something I will be doing monthly as I always treat Social Media differently after--more aware of the time I spend scrolling & the content I'm consuming.
I heard of a lot of things going on in Social Media while I was off. Riots, protests, more political drama, dare I say…the usual fear mongering crap. I saw yet again, many friends divided. People saying you should speak up and say something about this particular issue that is close to their hearts, but then when another issue happened that was just a serious, they didn’t say a word. Because…it was not an important issue to them.
This made me think of the contradictions so many of us get wrapped up in. People getting so up in arms about a topic in social media, yet quiet about others. When you’re an observer in these crazy times, it’s really incredible to see how similar both sides are, and how each side is essentially accusing the other of the exact same thing, just in a different way.
The bottom line is, no one should be pressured to speak up about anything. If it feels true to you, and something that is important to you, then by all means, speak up. But do not expect everyone else to jump on your soapbox. And definitely do not threaten your friends and family or shame them into speaking up as well! It’s incredible that in 2023 this is still happening. Haven’t we learned anything from 2020 and 2021?
I will give you an example from my own life:
My personal life and spiritual practice is very important and private to me. It’s something share with a few people, but really no more than 2 or 3. I used to feel pressured to share everything on social media like others did, but it never felt authentic to me. What happened was a blabbering mess of words coming out and very inauthentic claims and stories, that now looking back I cringe at. And deleted. It was never me, and I should have never been swayed or pushed into sharing things I was going through when I was not ready.
In the past year I've learned so much more about who I am, what I'm about, what I'm comfortable sharing and not sharing. My life in general is very public, so having some privacy is important. This includes things I’m going through, my spiritual practice, and personal life. And I will certainly not speak out on political topics just because everyone else is.
Remember that you should never feel pressured to share things or "speak up" because others are. That's their choice, not yours. It doesn't matter what others are talking about or the memes you see (if you're not x then you're x) ✋. Follow your intuition, share what is meaningful and feels good to you. Don't let others shame or force you into anything different. This was the biggest realization (and relief) for me in the past year and I hope it helps you too.
Thank you all for your support and follows! Here's to another beautiful year of ups, downs, heart healing, heart breaks, adventures, stability, growth, and rest, as we continue to evolve into the souls we're meant to be. 💜🧚✨