Stop Comparing, Start Living

by Naeve Molho

We are constantly doubting ourselves, thinking that we are not skinny enough, not tall enough, not pretty enough but what if the truth was that no one really knows what this ‘perfection’ is.  Each person has a different idea of perfection which wasn’t shaped just by their views, it’s shaped by what others want them to become.  Over 70% of this world is a user of social media and every one of those people will come under constant bombardment of what society thinks we should do or how we should dress.  We are not free people, we do not think for ourselves. We think of how others will judge us, criticize us.  We are lost always looking for someone to aspire to be like but what we don’t realize is that we are not made to live in someone else’s shadow; we are made to be us.

Social Media evokes jealousy and envy as we only see the best of people not the worst but within that we enter the spiral of their lives; they hide their imperfections because for some reason that’s what society has dictated us to do.  Violent video games and sexualized images are allowed yet our most innocent attributes; our imperfections, that are only natural, are hidden behind this little screen we spend over years 4 of our life looking down at.

We are living in a time where boastful and pretentious people rule social media, showcasing their memories and experiences between lavish events and amazing opportunities. Yet each day we look down at our small screen gazing in awe at others, wishing we were them or anything but us. Maybe if we looked up once in a while we wouldn’t miss those opportunities?  The sad truth is that when we look down at those tiny little screens we forget to live our own life.  We forget to create memories that will have value to us because no matter how powerful one can become; strip us down and we are left with memories. 

However, good memories aren’t just videos that got 500 likes or pictures with 1000 comments.  What we will remember is the people we made connections with, not the people hiding behind the tiny screens but the people we made eye contact with who we shared emotions with us.  These are the type of friends who are more than a number on Facebook, they’re the people who will make you forget what the others think and show you that for you to live and experience the extraordinary, means you don’t have to share it all with everyone.  If you stop constantly telling people what you are doing and stop involving yourself in the reality of their life you will create a life that will be remembered with more than a number of followers, more than an amount of Facebook friends but a life that was actually lived.  A good life is not lived through a screen.

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE