Winning together against the green-eyed monster
MY younger brother told me something last week that just stuck with me the whole week through, “Everyone on social media is too busy showing off how they’re winning with life.”
For days, the ideology stuck with me around the same time that I heard Pastor Judah Smith’s message on keeping up with the Joneses, only this time the Joneses are not just your neighbors but the entire world.
Instead of just seeing how well those who live in close proximity to you are living, you are scrolling into the lives of a supermodel who is halfway across the world with a burgeoning net worth and a perfect face and seeing how they are living. Unlike our parents who live pre- Instagram and Facebook, we have more Joneses to keep up with.
And to be honest, it can be quite disheartening.
Trust me, you have been there. You know you wake up one day not feeling your best self, you may have even spilled coffee on your favorite dress on the way to work, and work is a whole different story — there’s deadlines, stress, and sometimes you just want to quit.
You may ask, how can others make winning so easy and why can’t I win the same way?
As human beings, we are wired to constantly yearn for the greener grass; and in today’s digital age, the grass consists of a well- curated feed, likes, followers, and just snippets of glory.
The green- eyed monster is constantly fueled by seeing other’s victories filtered into our screen and even the most noble can’t help but wonder, “Why is my life not as fun?”
From the moment social media came into the scene much study has been poured into its effect — especially for children. The learning curve is astounding – the moment we learn something and try to cope, bam, another update and we’re back to square one!
It’s a love-hate relationship: we love the likes, we love being in the know, we love the quickness of it but at the same time we also cannot help but feel drained because the constant updates can be just that – too much. There’s no avoiding it unless we pull a Liz Gilbert and live with a monk although I feel that even the Internet has infiltrated those places as well
So how do we deal with it? By being grateful. I know, I know, it’s the easiest thing in the world, so why can’t we all do it? Because it takes a greater sense of bravery and courage to understand that someone’s win does not take away from mine so we should all just be thankful for what we have.
Victory in this world means having faith in someone who holds the entire Universe in His hands. It’s understanding that each of us has a unique purpose and that we are exactly where we are supposed to in this moment. Yes, it can be such a horrible season but it is ours and it is critical to our story.
Putting our trust in God’s hands changes our perspective. We no longer have to join the rat race ( because who wants to be a rat, anyway?) and just trust that life is working out as it should – despite the challenges, our insecurity, and delays.
In fact, the person who you see winning also went through so many times and seasons that Instagram knows nothing about. Because as human beings – that is who we are – we show off our wins but we hide our struggles. And I think that should stop because when we share our struggles, the world becomes a better, more encouraging place.
So the next time you are tempted to #goals, remember one thing: another’s win doesn’t take away from mine so we should just all be grateful and win together.
It takes maturity, it takes faith but it is a wonderful place to be in.
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