Saturday, March 25, 2023
Evaluate your choices. Ask, “Why do I use social media?” Most commonly, people fear missing out. What a wonderfully justified reason to use social media, fear. Why do you consume the news? Maybe you’re afraid of missing out on what’s happening “in the world?” What about what’s happening in your world, wouldn’t you be more afraid to miss that? Why do you reach for those cookies? Maybe it’s because you can’t help yourself, and you’re stressed. What a wonderful reason to eat, lack of control and anxiety. What about eating because you’re really hungry and in need of nutrition? Are your actions justified by conscious choice, or by mechanical means?
When we follow compulsions and addictions; when we blindly follow what “everyone else” does; and we blindly follow consumerism, we are like lambs going to the slaughter. Fear and conformity; following the commotion and “action”; and following the mindlessness of impulse are literally leading us to hell.
Follow that which can create deeper choices of your highest good. We simply don’t know what’s good for us, until we spend time in quiet reflection. We just aimlessly wander towards the trends, towards the bright packaging, and towards the fear of missing out. These are not justifiable reasons for choice. Most people are too busy following trends, or the latest and greatest lures of attention, rather than following their heart. Following the useless chatter of the mind; or following a compulsive limb that reaches for a phone, or into a bag of chips for no conscious reason, is an accident. Choose on purpose and always for your greater good. Maybe it’s time to pay attention, and to follow the deeper rhythm of individual, conscious choice. If it leads you away from the crowd and away from compulsion, you’re on the right track. You’re not missing out, you’re just missing out on the misery of conformity and mindlessness. Keep going. Evaluate all of your choices.