Curse of Social Media

I really want to post of pic of my cute “It’s Fall Y’all” motif I have going on in my house, but I can’t because there’s nothing cute about the situation at my house. I want to diffuse pumpkin spice in my bamboo diffuser and sit wistfully by the windowsill, sipping my mocha choca latte dadah, but my windowsills are dusty and I don’t have a bamboo diffuser, and I have too much to do.

MAN the longing to have  adorable autumn porch decor is REAL y’all! But money is tight, and there are hundreds of hieroglyphic chalk markings, wet chalk chunks, and a bunch of planters with dead crispy leaves soaking up all my creative juices as I stare at them...clearly not motivated enough to clean it up and make it fancy. Come to think of it... maybe I should leave the dead leaves and dust and just call it a head start on Halloween decor.


It is so easy to become dissatisfied in our culture because of social media. I can feel content, until I look to the right or left and see I am surrounded by Pinterest perfection and  picturesque Pottery Barn patios, family photos taken in falling leaves and orange sunsets against an old farm house...
I see it.
I want it.
I see it.
I want it.
I see it.
I want it.
Does it do that to you too??
It’s the curse of social media—we’re all so much longing to be seen as picture-perfect. If I can generalize for a minute—we feel so much pressure to have whiter teeth, bigger homes, smarter children, better cars, more friends, more children, cuter nurseries, bigger birthday celebrations, smaller waists,  bigger bank accounts, and on and on.
 I’ve never seen all of the mysteries and wonders my own state has to offer, and yet, now I suddenly have Bora-Bora on my longing- for list, because Instagram said it’s somewhere I must visit before I die.
@chris1cal says this is the place to be and I really really believe him, and suddenly my own pool looks a little less blue.

Then I get sad that I'm so shallow and can lose my joy so quickly, and I'm sad that I'm sad.
It's a fun cycle.

So if you're like me and you find yourself stuck being plagued by that social media curse, maybe try a couple of these ideas to get you out of that mindset.

1. Divorce social media for the rest of the day or if you're feeling brave, even a week. Remind yourself that it does not RULE your life and you can survive without the newsfeeds. Put your phone far away from you and don't open your computer or ipad again until the predetermined time has passed.
   
2. Go have a fun conversation with your kids or catch up with an old friend.  Reconnect with someone face to face and enjoy the moment you've been given with them. You aren't ever promised another.
   
3. Make a list of all the things you are grateful for. Set a timer and start listing EVERYTHING you can think of that you're grateful for--from the air you breathe to the chair you're sitting on, from the relationships you're in, to the relationships you were saved from.  List EVERYTHING.
   
4. Pray. When our thoughts are turned inward, we're often consumed with our own emotions and dissatisfaction. When our thoughts are turned upwards and outwards, we focus on things of eternal significance and our petty desires of pumpkin throw pillows fade into the background--at least while I'm praying. ;) 
   
5. Do something for someone else. In Girl Scouts we say, "Do a good turn daily." What can you do for someone else today that will make them smile? The less we think of ourselves the more room we make in our heart space for others.
   
   

Even though I still want the adorable dream decor and furniture,  and for everything to be neat and tidy always, I have to come back to the realization that superficial desires of this world start to overwhelm my appreciation for the life I've been given. And THAT is a curse I do not want to live with. This is supposed to be the season of ushering in thankfulness and humility. I'll try not to forget that as we head to the pumpkin patch and I start to feel the pressure to wear matching flannel shirts as a family.  We are an unkempt crew of people who love God, we live a simple life, and even though we may not have a wreath of golden brown and orange leaves to mark that it's Autumn, it'll still come. Thank you Lord for the winds of a new season, regardless of the lack of matching decor. 

And in case you're like, Danielle you suck, I don't care what you say, I want to put leaves and gourds all around my burlap table runner...here's a list of suggestions for some easy DIY penny-pinching fall decorations you can whip up without breaking the bank. ;)