Just Look Away

Comparison is the thief of joy.

And yet we live in a world where we are encouraged, taught to see what everyone around us is doing, to strive to be like the next person who we see as superior to us, to learn from them and try to be like them.

We are created to connect, to need to feel a part of our friends lives. And social media, be it Facebook or whatever, gives us access to what our neighbor is doing, or at least what they want us to see. 

People don't generally share their weaknesses, their struggles on social media. Because no one wants others to know the hard parts of our lives, to betray the confidence of their children or to portray them as less than perfect. I don't think we are trying to be dishonest, but social media is not a full picture of real life. Even on my blog I am very careful with what information and struggles are shared. I am free to share my struggles, but it is also my job to protect my kids from shame or feeling like I'm telling the world their flaws. 

I can't speak for anyone else, but there are certain people whose lives I can't watch on facebook because when I see I immediately compare. And I feel insufficient. I focus on  what is going wrong and not the blessings I have received. The grass is always greener... There are people I love and long to be connected to, but in order to protect my emotions, to keep my joy and not open myself up to feeling jealous or envious or angry, I have to look away.

Sometimes it feels lonely to not know what is going on with others, but we have to remember, a Facebook connection isn't a real connection. It's only based on the good people want you to see. It's better to have no connection than one based on half truths that leads us to compare, losing our joy, and feeling dissatisfied.

Sometimes, you have to choose to just look away and not let yourself go there.