Have you ever considered using your social media feed as practice for letting go of expectations for yourself and others? Write. Release. Repeat. Be respectful. Be thoughtful. And then let your words go out into the world. Use your social media posts as practice for letting go of concerns about whether your words matter enough or how many likes you get.
This episode talks about how we can practice letting go with social media. We can let the number of likes we get on our social media posts define how we feel about ourselves. Or we can let go of our expectations and post what we want (maintaining respect for others in the process). Like drawing pictures in the sand that the waves wash away we can let our social media posts go and create new ones. We can learn from the example of Pablo Picasso.
Hello and welcome to Uplifted – My name is Meg Luther Lindholm. I welcome you on this journey towards a more mindful and compassionate life. It’s not easy, but it is possible. We’ll take it one step at a time.
Today’s step is called Letting Go with Social Media
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with social media. I mean I get the good part – about how social media allows us to connect in ways that might not be possible otherwise - especially with friends and family in other places. But social media can also drain our time – taking us away from more important activities that take more effort. And at the end of the day, when we log off, there we are – alone.
But recently I’ve come to see social media as an opportunity – as an exercise in mindful letting go. I used to monitor my posts to see how many likes there were. Now, I’m willing to post things that people might not even acknowledge. And there is something freeing in that. I haven’t let go of my ego, but I don’t teeter off my center of gravity if no one likes or responds to what I post. Because you know what? There is always tomorrow. That is one of the great lessons of social media. It is like waves in the ocean and the sun in the sky always moving – revolving, never the same tomorrow as today. So, what social media has taught me is to let go of my expectations.
I’m reminded of Pablo Picasso, the great modern artist who made thousands of paintings, drawings and sculptures. You might not know it but he used to go to the ocean where he’d find sticks and draw figures and pictures in the sand. A wave would roll in and erase his work. When the water receded, he would draw another figure or picture in the sand. He did this over and over. Sure, he was playing with ideas and form. But he was also letting go - letting the salty water roll over his need for permanence and perfection.
I like to think of my social media posts in the same way. It’s not that they disappear. But no single post matters so very much. If we post what we feel is important, or what we like or want to share – then that is all that matters. Send it out. Then let it go. See if you feel diminished. Or if over time you feel liberated. Be authentic. Be true. Be respectful and then let it go…. And if you do find yourself craving just a little bit of adulation – then just post a baby photo of yourself, your child, your parent or your pet. You’ll get lots of likes – and then you can go back to your practice of letting go.
Thank you for joining me on this step of the mindfulness journey that I call Uplifted. You can find this podcast at Upliftedpodcast.com and if you like it I’d appreciate your making either a one time or recurring donation on the web page for the podcast. I’m Meg Luther Lindholm. Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.