Good morning, and happy Monday! In my past year of blogging, I’ve heard a lot of comments about Instagram and the glory reel. I’ve even read articles linking social media to increased rates of anxiety and depression. I think Instagram is a wonderful space where we can connect, grow and inspire each other. But it’s always important, whether we’re flipping through a magazine or scrolling our news feeds to approach media with context. If any form of media has ever left you feeling like you are not enough, read on! I hope that by sharing these thoughts and reminders, I can lend a little more positivity and light into your next experience. So today I’m sharing some quick thoughts on living in an Insta-perfect world from a blogger/influencer perspective.
Blogs Are The New Magazine
As we move further into the online age, I can guarantee you that magazines will eventually move to be completely digital, and there won’t be much of a difference between a well-run magazine and a well-run blog. Like magazines, a lot of time, energy and preparation goes into blog photos. You wouldn’t read a magazine and think that the models in those photos always look like that, so don’t let yourself think that about any kind of Instagram influencer either. It’s the exact same thing, just a different platform.
Nobody Lives In A Pinterest Board
Have you ever followed someone on Instagram and thought that they are just perfect? Always looking cute, living in a perfect house with perfect children and a perfect husband? As silly as it can seem when you say it out-loud, sometimes I’ve started to think that about people I follow! But nobody lives in a Pinterest board. We all have bad hair days, hide from our children in the bathroom (No? Just me?), and have never-ending house projects. Everyone’s human, and life is a joke if we all pretend we’re perfect all the time.
Inspiration, Not Shame
Instagram is a place for inspiration, not for shame. Nobody, whether they’re your friend in real life, an editor of your favorite magazine, or a blogger, should make you feel like you are not good enough. If anyone you follow (in any sense of the word) makes you feel badly about yourself, unfollow them right now! None of us have time for that in our lives! The only exception is if those bad feelings are coming from a place of jealousy. If you feel jealous of someone, re-harness that into self-motivation. Never tie your self-worth to anyone except yourself. We’ve all heard it before, right? Comparison is the thief of joy. We can only compare ourselves to our former selves, take an honest look inward, and then make the critical moves needed to elevate us to our idea future selves. Measuring our self=worth based on those around us, physical or virtual, is a self-destructive path. You are entirely up to you. If you see something that you want to achieve in life, just do it. You’re the only one with that power.
The entire goal of my platform on This Celebrated Life is to empower, inspire and uplift you. I love sharing my new recipes with you. Fun trips with you. Personal style with you. I love sharing my life with you, and am so thankful that you’re following along! But it’s full of ups and downs and is nowhere near perfect. Nobody’s life is anywhere near perfect. We all just need to remember that.
Want to stay connected? You can find me on Instagram here, Facebook here, and Pinterest here!