Picture Perfect, Online Only

Have you ever taken a photo or video and knew it looked good enough to go on your Facebook or Instagram? Creating the best version of ourselves and social media allows us to put whatever message we want out there.

I am so guilty of this on social media. Even in my blog!

Shortly after I posted "Dog Mom Reporting for Duty", my mom and I were talking about how you can say one thing and then the reverse happens. For example, I talked about how we had stopped Nyssa from chewing by buying her toys and spray, yet the SAME day I posted the blog, she chewed up another pair of my underwear. 

In an article on Inc., "You see your friends posting smiling selfies at exotic destinations and humblebragging about their professional and personal accomplishments, and you end up thinking your own life doesn't measure up." The article then talks about a person who tweeted out asking if people ever posted a photo seeming fine but in actuality, going through something tough. 

So this made me think. Have I ever done this?

The photo to the right was taken in the summer of 2015. I was interning for a great job, but I was in a town by myself and felt like I was missing out on everything and nothing all at the same time. I even missed the first two weeks of my sophomore year of college. I had a lot of FOMO (fear of missing out) going on. I felt behind and excluded and the depression just set in. I couldn't leave my bed. I didn't want to go to class or club meetings or even dinner with my friends. I knew I wasn't acting like myself anymore and got on some medicine to help get my brain into check. 

A few years later..

I fell in love with a guy who also happened to live clear across the country. I am a huge family and friend oriented person. So moving across the USA has been so hard on me. I spent many nights crying alone in my bedroom. However, I posted this seen below. A huge smile. 

I got married to a fantastic guy. However, marriage is hard and we communicate in completely different ways (refer to our Enneagram results). We argue a lot (generally because I misunderstand him). The photo is from our (second) wedding day. The night before we had a huge fight and I was so upset and distraught. We didn't even get the chance to talk about it before I walked down the aisle to get married in front of our friends and family (legally we were already married). But here we are smiling, pretending to be happy without any cares in the world. Don't get me wrong we are happy, but it just goes along with the fact that we often post the best versions of ourselves. 

So how can we stop doing this? Comparing our curated lives to others is not helping our self-images and confidence. 

BE honest and vulnerable. If you are struggling: reach out, talk about it, and don't only post the good. Rachel Hollis, author of books like "Girl, Wash Your Face" and "Girl, Stop Apologizing", she recently went through a loss in her family and was honest about the loss on social media. It isn't easy but it helps others know that it is okay to not be okay. 

Don't compare your life based on photos! I know easier said than done, but I challenge you to at least try to be intentional when you start to feel FOMO. Remember because they post that they are dating a rockstar or got to meet a movie star, they still may be dealing with depression or a loss of a job. 

Scroll your own Instagram feed. Remember that there is someone out there looking at your content and seeing your curated images. You also have happiness and adventure and a life to be envious of.