"POST ON THESE THINGS"

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!

HAPPY TO BE HELPFUL AND HORMONALLY HEALTHY!

The teaching theme this month at METRON Community is 'KARMA AND THE CHRIST-ETHIC', and this past Sunday we talked about how we are actually wired to do good deeds, and how Karma relates to brain function, and how psychological studies have shown that those who gave their time or resources to charity actually ended up happier than those who didn’t...in Ephesians 2:10, Paul says that we are God's "workmanship" (better translation is "masterpiece"), created/predestined by God to "do good works"...last Sunday we discussed that there is, in fact, a term that is used to describe what people experience when they do good for others, which is “helper’s high”...it's called that because of the extraordinarily good feeling that many people get whenever they have offered their help to someone who needed it...

The simple act of giving to others not only has a significant spiritual meaning, it also bears a physical, mental and emotional importance to people, as well...as we have said many times here on METRON-SPEAK, everything is connected...it has been proven scientifically that charitable actions can increase or decrease hormone levels and activity in the body...these hormone levels help us become happier and feel less stressed in our every day lives...they initiate endorphin activity in the brain and stimulate a happier state of mind...as you may know, endorphin is defined as any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions (also known as our body’s own “happy hormones”)..they are peptides that activate the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect...they help lighten our mood all the time...

It has also been proven that giving to others also lowers an individual's level of stress...studies have shown that those who have been generous to other people have lower cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine levels...these hormones cause different physical and emotional manifestations of stress, which could later develop into complications and a person’s lack of energy and drive...

It's even been said that Positive Emotions in general are good for the (physical) heart...that laughter can make blood flow more freely, that hugging someone you love or feel positive toward can release oxytocin (not necessarily in sexual way, but in social recognition and for alleviating anxiety), and that spending time with a loved one and experiencing/sharing happiness with them can lower blood pressure...

Again, everything is connected...you are not wired for selfishness and isolation...selfishness goes against your very nature...you are very much connected to a Universal law of giving and receiving... sowing and reaping...sending things out to the Universe, and attracting things back to yourself...loving and being loved...appreciating and being appreciated...helping and being helped...you are a vital part of the Whole...

Of course, the flip side to all of this is the negative disconnect that happens when you are giving and giving and it is not appreciated or reciprocated, or you are the only one contributing in and to a relationship...the feeling of being taken advantage of, or of being unable to meet someone else's unreasonable demands on you and expectations of you does not produce anything positive in your brain function, and can actually affect your sense of well-being, your self-esteem and even your health...

Everything is about balance...you need to be needed, but you also have to know when to say no, and not feel bad about it...you are wired to give of yourself and to experience happiness about it, but you also have to be a good steward over your own personhood and not let people take more from you than they are willing to give back to you in some way...you have to be there for people, but also be honest about what you actually can and cannot do for them...you can't be happy about biting off more than you can chew...experiencing burnout from giving more than you get back doesn't produce any good hormones...that's not what Karma is about...

You should do good every day...you should send out good stuff to the Universe as much and as often as you can...but you should also protect, defend and nourish your own happiness, and not allow yourself to be drained by anyone...you can't please everyone, and if someone thinks that you haven't done enough for them and you are seeing the situation differently, knowing what you have, in fact, done for them and for others, you have to know how to shake it off and move on to a healthier, happier place...remember, it's all about loving your neighbor AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF...be good to you first, and you'll have plenty to give to others...your cup will run over, and you'll connect to Karma in a way that will bless others, and will cause you to be helpfully happy and hormonally healthy!