In my life I think I need
A new serenity prayer indeed-
I need serenity, courage, wisdom- all three
To set my soul from bondage free
An unhealthy sense of competition I’ve acquired
In the vicious circle of comparison I am mired
To everyone else around me, myself I compare
At their achievements on social media I stare
Then wallow in self-pity because my life, you know
Has nothing interesting going on, worth a show….
**
As I scroll through instagram feeds and facebook timelines,
There comes a point when despondency fills my mind
Protective instincts kick in to prevent further distress
I shun social media, stop tracking others’ progress
Freeing up more time, to do things that are worthwhile
But….
When I do something interesting, I post it under my profile
Of course then I check out every notification as well
And I am back in my self-created hell
Of comparing others’ highlights to my
Behind-the scenes life- believe me, I try
To avoid these comparisons, but stop short
Of deleting social media accounts- I cannot
Be a recluse in the virtual world, that scares me
So I continue to go through cycles of misery….
**
I think a new commandment needs addition
To the Ten Commandments for the millennial edition
“Thou shalt not compare yourself to others on the internet”
Maybe that will have, at least on me, the desired effect…
“Freeing up more time to do things worthwhile.” That is exactly the solution. Abandoned Facebook four years ago; Insty three years ago. To your words, they became addicting and added little to my life. WordPress and LinkedIn are the only platforms I now follow — and each less and less as time goes by. It’s simply a matter of priorities and choice. All the best with what you decide to do. 🙂
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Wise words and a great poem. So true too. Social media dictates and controls so many people’s lives these days by promoting that fear of missing out. Just need to try and use it sparingly and realise that everyone else on it is not more interesting or exciting than you, just more addicted.
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Thanks
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That’s a very good and wise “commandment.”
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Very good!
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