I Quit...
No wait, I do.
I am just going to put this out there. I was inspired by listening to a recent podcast from
Gary Vee (don’t look into him if you don’t like swearing) and he was talking about the natural desire we have to play the competitive game of keeping up with the Joneses.
This is a problem that 98% of us have, especially with the advent of social media. It’s all of us, who have the privilege to have access to the internet on our phones, looking at the filtered world of friends, colleagues and heroes. We are so obsessed with what everyone else is doing, we don’t stop and think that it is probably filtered. More than likely it is not an accurate representation of what this persons life is like on the daily.
So I have decided to stop playing that game. I am guilty of looking at others social media accounts and judging my success, decisions and accomplishments against those of people I really don’t know. So, I quit….
Now this isn’t one of those ridiculous, “I’m leaving social media” announcements. This is me saying, I quit playing that game. The compare contest.
Gary goes on to say, the second you stop caring what people think of you. How they will judge you or “rate” you. That’s when you become really successful. By successful, I mean happy. I have met too many young people that have real life anxiety about how their lives don’t measure up. Their look, lifestyle, clothes, parties, social circles aren’t as good as someone else’s.
It’s equally as bad to look at any post on anything and assume you know the whole story. It’s even worse to place judgement on them based on your assumptions or self prescribed set of standards. I always TRY and keep three rules in mind when I meet someone, see a post or hear a rumour.
1. I probably don’t know the entire story.
2. I will give most people the benefit of the doubt. Most people aren’t out to hurt others.
3. It’s unfair to compare my life against anyones. Always keep perspective close at hand. I don’t have it the best and I don’t have it the worst.
So in 2020, I will post tons of content on my
Instagram,
Twitter,
LinkedIn and
YouTube. I am not going to ‘care’ if people like it or laugh at it. I will do my absolute best to never offend anyone, but I won’t keep score.
So I quit, I don’t want to create unneeded anxiety and stress wondering if I am doing it ‘right’. I have been doing this for 30 years, I believe that as long as I try hard, be kind and keep learning from my mistakes, I win my own success.
In leadership and gratitude,
