- Negative posts
- Rants about any and everything
- Negative comments
- Passive aggression
- Hate posts about anything or anyone
- Arrogance
- Over-posting
I was guilty of all of these. I was easily offended by everything I saw. When I disagreed with someone’s post, I had to comment. It was like a compulsion. I had become too comfortable on Facebook. I felt too entitled.
So, I walked away.
It was not good for me. I was not a person I wanted to be. I did not like how comfortable I was with my posting. I gave in to every offense and I even felt obligated to post updates. OBLIGATED! What?! That’s just crazy.
From December 26th-January 26th, I did not check Facebook at all. I turned off all notifications, and only checked messenger and the groups app for correspondence with my international friends and events.
This has been life-changing. I have found, there is not nearly as much offensive content in my life. It’s AMAZING! I did not know how negatively Facebook had been affecting my life. Facebook used to be wonderful. It used to be a great place to keep up with people. Somewhere along the way it became a dumping ground for negative thoughts, and I am sorry to say I contributed to that. Please forgive my part in that. If you are reading this and you can think of a post of mine that negatively impacted your life, please know that I am sorry.
To be fair, I also posted a lot of positive things as well. I was not simply a Debbie Downer. BUT, for 2017, I decided that all of my posts have to be positive. That is not to say I won’t be real–I can’t help but be real–but I won’t unnecessarily share every single opinion and thought I have. Because no one needs or wants that. The reality is, no one has ever been convinced to change their opinion or stance based on a rant. So, rants are off the table.
Don’t get me wrong, that has been hard, even on the more positive social media I frequent: Instagram. I do have strong opinions on things, but I have to keep my ultimate purpose in mind: to be a missionary for Jesus Christ, to help others find and follow Jesus. Anything I post that might hinder that mission, I have to rethink. And, rethink I have… several times.
So, now you know why I had to walk away from Facebook. It makes me sad because it used to be such a wonderful part of my life. Not only did it keep me connected when I had to be single mom during deployments, it also helped me build a business that still pays me every month. But, it’s what I need. So if you want to connect with me, Instagram is the place to be! 🙂