Far be it from me to suggest to anyone how they should choose to use Social Media...your Twitter/Linkedin/Instagram/etc. account is yours to implement however you see fit, and your FB page is absolutely your place to express yourself however you want to do it...I believe that personal expression rocks, and I'm all about encouraging it...
No doubt, a lot of dissent and argument goes on in cyberspace, on blogs, and especially on Facebook...and it is what it is...I personally am not interested in provoking debate with anyone about anything in person or online at this point in my life, even though I have strong convictions about pretty much everything...I'm sort of in the
"agree with your adversary quickly" camp...but I'm basically cool with those who do like that sort of thing...argumentative people tend to stress me out on a personal level, so I avoid them, but I'm definitely against censorship, so I believe that people should be able to say what they want to say, even if I don't really want to hear it...
I have several thousand friends and followers on Social Media, and it's an understatement to say that among them all is quite a wide variety of world-views and ideologies...for example, I have FB friends who are racially diverse, both conservative and liberal, Democrat and Republican, gay and straight, religious and non-religious, fundamentalist Christian and atheist, etc...in a word, I have connections with people who are all over the map politically, theologically and ideologically, and I'm used to that sort of eclectic and ecumenical environment...in fact, I like the freedom of an exchange of ideas, even though I usually prefer finding harmony and agreement over argument and contention...
I used to argue a lot, and I'm pretty good at it, but I already have a platform as a public figure to say all the things that I want to say, and I have had that for some time, so the itch is already scratched for me in that area...I get to regularly express my opinion about things, and I get plenty of attention, so I don't need to compensate with arguing...but I understand that a lot of people don't have the outlet(s) that I have, so I respect their right to mix it up and stir the pot...
And even though I avoid getting into the fray over most subjects, I definitely subscribe to Voltaire's mantra of
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."...that's what America and free speech is all about, so God bless America!
So whatever you opt to say about Isis or Ebola or Obama or Ferguson or Bill Cosby or gun control or Jesus or the Bible or whatever else people are talking about is fine with me...I'm willing to hear you out to a certain point...for the most part, unless it's a personal attack, nothing that you say, no matter how offensive or disappointing to me, is a deal breaker...and with over 500 people already blocked on my FB page, the personal online attacks on me are pretty much a thing of the past these days...in fact, the overwhelming outpouring of support that Ken and I have received on FB about our announcement a few days ago has really surprised/overwhelmed me, and has healed something in my heart that I didn't even realize needed healing...
That being said, I do want to give a word of advice, for what it's worth, to those who use Social Media to talk/complain/obsess over the negative things in their lives...I understand the need to vent and to be heard...believe me, I've done my fair share of it in the past...but I do want to exhort anyone with whom I have influence to remember that what you energize through your words and intentions only becomes stronger...
Jesus said
"To them that have, more will be given"...the vibration on the words that you type and post on the Worldwide Web are just as powerful as the ones that pass through your vocal chords...you not only have what you say, you also have what you post!
Complaining about your financial situation on FB only moves you away from prosperity...and if pity is what you want, you can certainly get it by posting about how bad things are for you, but it won't make them any better, and it won't bring you money...if pity is what you want, then that will be your only reward...
I believe that Virtual Reality is very powerful...the image that you create online paints a picture of who you are, and of who you will become in real life...I think it's perfectly OK to let people know when you need prayer (I've written a previous post about that), or when there's an emergency...I certainly believe in the Power of Agreement, and have used Social Media myself to ask for it for certain things...I also know that when my dad was in the hospital recently, it was much easier to post the status of his condition on FB than to say it over and over again to everyone who was calling to ask how he was doing...
So I believe that using Twitter or FB to ask for agreement or to give updates on someone's medical condition is effective and is also good time management...
But posting the details of your pity party online isn't ever going to make people want to attend it...and if you complain to those who have no ability to help your situation, you only frustrate them and ultimately yourself...
Calling those things which are not as though they are can be done online to your advantage...if you're single and lonely, telling the entire Universe that you are isn't going to bring someone into your life...complaining about your job online only makes your work experience more miserable, and never changes it for the better...talk instead about what you love and already have, and it will bring more of the same to you...
Express your gratitude, and you will attract more things for which to be grateful...
Praise your life, and your life will get better...
Energize and give life to the good stuff, and you will have more of it...
People often ask me if I ever take a bad picture, and I say to them, "sure I do, I just don't post it on Facebook!"...I only want to present myself in the best possible light...your life is your brand, and you need to talk it up and promote it, regardless of the temptation to talk about what is negative...
Create your image, and make it a good and attractive one...
Blaming God or your parents or your ex or the church or the President or white people or black people or whoever else you think is the reason for your problems only creates more problems!
Love your life and express it online, and life will love you back!
