There is a fine line, I think, between inspired and discouraged. And I don't need much encouragement to feel discouraged, because the other frequent posts are dire warnings about the earth, our country, city, and neighborhood going to hell in a handbasket. Our politicians are corrupt, our environment on a warming path to ruin, our food is mostly poison, our neighborhoods riddled with crime, and everybody seems to despair.
So, one would think that the inspirational stuff would uplift. Yet, often I feel it rings a false note of an oversimplified "Pollyanna" approach to problem solving; or a lament of "everybody does it better than we (the U.S.) do", then trying to encourage an unrealistic sea change in public/private behavior to do better ourselves; or encouragement to just love ourselves into a Nirvana of heaven on earth. Or look at these cute kittens -- always with the kittens.
I do my fair share of forwarding what I think are important, interesting, funny, or inspiring tidbits too. I want to inform, educate, and entertain. But when I do that, what I'm really doing is showing you what's important to me without telling you why. My son's employer doesn't provide health insurance and he can't afford it on his own; my brother lost his job and medical coverage one month before he was diagnosed with cancer. I might send you a link to Obamacare, not only because I support it as an important public policy, but because it will help those I love. Maybe I could just say that. "I'm posting this because...."
I think the posts I find truly inspirational are not those that are forwarded over and over, but those that are little glimpses into lives being lived to the best of a person's ability, with honesty, integrity, optimism, and humor. One day at a time. One person at a time. I like hearing about how Jim grew his own beans, Sue cares for her elder mother, Jim hosted a fundraiser, Sue baked an apple pie for a new neighbor, Jim faces cancer with determination, Sue sang a solo at her son's wedding, Jim helped his neighbor build a garage, Sue was at the birth of her granddaughter, Jim missed his putt and made everyone laugh... You get the idea; real stuff. The stuff of life.
I like knowing that each in my FB family of friends is out there living full-on, making a small and important difference in their worlds, just by trying, by being fully human, by challenging themselves to grow into a more compassionate, abundant Self. There is a ripple effect. Show us the pebble you are dropping into the great sea of humanity. We'll all be inspired.
At least, that's the view from here...©.
No comments:
Post a Comment