When was the last time you did something genuinely, and only for you?
Let me rephrase that.
When was the last time you did something for yourself and not for the ‘gram? When was the last time you went to a cafe not for its aesthetics in mind for posting purposes, but because you wanted peace and quiet as you enjoyed that cup of dirty chai? As a social media gal, I admit to being guilty of the latter. However let’s not forget that before I am a Social Media Public Figure, Entrepreneur, Blogger, Influencer or any other additional coined term they have nowadays, I am a person.
Now, why would you listen to me about not posting certain things when it’s what I do on the daily? I totally get your concern. Totally. But that’s exactly how I learned to moderate.
As a Public Figure in the social realm of today’s society, it is my due diligence to inspire an audience through tiny squares that represent my everyday life genuinely. I do this as my passionate and I do this daily, wholeheartedly. As a human being, it is my due diligence to remember and remind at the same time that privacy is of luxury these days. As a combined entity of both responsibilities, need I say that it is my duty as someone who has the ability to influence a sea of people, that once in a while, you have to keep things off the gram. Keep things for yourself. Keep things more special.
I’m not saying not to post a flashy photo of your engagement ring once he pops the question. All I’m saying is, moderation is key to living a healthy life.
You don’t have to document your every iced coffee you ever drank, every flight you’ve flown or every Chanel you purchased. Yes you’re proud and rightfully so! Hell, you’ve earned it. But ever know how it feels to be proud of something, offline? Did you purchase that new Prada for the ‘gram or was it solely for yourself? A point blank question that may have dropped some jaws and widened some eyes, but here I am addressing it because at this age and time, you won’t be surprised at height people would go for, to do it for the ‘gram. Try purchasing something you’ve had your eye on for a while and not share it. I dare you.
I’ve experimented on what I’m preaching and the refreshing feeling of mystery almost feels like one of those mint gum ads you see on tv. I’ll tell you right now that not posting some things I’ve purchased or done makes the experience feel so much more luxurious, it almost feels twice the amount it was sold for. Scratch that. It almost feels priceless.
I’m not opposed to sharing, I’m pro-posting! Heck, I do it for a living and it would be hypocritical of me to say that. But as far as I’m pro-post, I am also pro-moderation.
I recently went on a trip to digitally detox myself. We picked this place based on its cuisine and not for any other reason. And to be quite honest, all we did was eat. Yes I still took photos, but none were posted at all. In fact, no one knew we left besides our close families.
Here’s what I gained from the digital detox and why we need to learn how to:
- We all need to step back from technology now and then.
- To know that you can switch off when you want, and that you have a healthy balance when it comes to tech use is such powerful control and discipline.
- To slow down and interact with our surroundings more.
- Because it’s a challenge.
- Because in this age and time where almost everything is within reach, privacy is the new luxury.
Remember that success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it without outside validation. Do things for the right reasons and not to simply fill up tiny squares in your Instagram aesthetically. Moderation is key to a healthy life and 99.9% of the time, doing the truth without display is the highest reward you can ever give yourself.