Why Social Media

Today is National Social Media Day, and in honor of it, I thought I'd write a blog post about why I use social media. I have had Facebook since you needed a .edu address. I got Pinterest as a young working adult, and I tuned into Instagram when I moved back to Arizona. I periodically fast from social media because I admit, it can get out of hand, but each time I go back, I find some redeeming qualities, some reasons for me to use social media in moderation. Here are a few:

Camaraderie: Social media is a place to connect with like-interested (even if not like-minded!) people. I stay connected to my alma mater this way. I especially like Still I Run, and the running community as a whole. I learn from them. Maybe they learn from me. 

Celebration: Some social media is just fun! I enjoy posting joyful moments from my life. I enjoy celebrating with others from afar. I will also put in this category businesses and other entities that I follow in order to receive notifications and announcements. Not all are celebratory, but many are.

(en)Couragement: Hebrews 10:24 says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Not all the bloggers I follow are Christians, and not all are encouraging towards others, but the information I gain through social media, while a double edged sword, can encourage me towards helpful practices like self care, balanced exercise and eating, having a healthy marriage, etc. Social media also gives me opportunities to encourage others.

Community: Nothing substitutes for in-person interaction, but social media does provide some sense of connection. (See below.) I've met some special people through social media, mostly through The Joy Squad. One of these ladies is the most awesome pen pal ever!

Connection: There are some people that prefer social media as means of contact. When I delete social media, I have less access to them. Can I still e-mail or call them? Yes, but they're more likely to respond to a Facebook message or Instagram DM.

Creativity: Pinterest is a good place to find recipes. Bloggers provide fun craft and cooking ideas. I like the process of finding and reading about new ideas.

(Head on over to Instagram to see my post where I tagged some special people in each of these categories.

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All in all, social media brings me joy, so I keep using it. As I read this list, though, I realize that my reasons for using social media are a lot about me, and less about others. Maybe I need to change that. Social media brings me joy, but am I using it to bring joy to others? Food for thought....

Three Everyday Ways to Practice Gratitude

I wrote a few weeks ago about learning to ask, "What is going right?" instead of focusing on the things I don't like in life. To supplement that post, I thought I'd share a few ways that I practice gratitude. Granted, I adopted most of these ideas from others, but I thought it might be helpful to share them all in one place.

1) Five things: I try to start out each day by writing five things I'm thankful for in my journal. Sometimes I dig deep, and sometimes I come up with simple things like a bed, sleep, job, electricity, and food. But even listing these basics helps me have perspective.

2) The Thankful Jar: Mom started this after reading a Max Lucado book that stated we need to learn to celebrate God's blessings. We write answered prayers and "Yeah, God" moments on colored cards and place them in the jar at the table for a month. Then we make a special date to re-read the cards and celebrate. (Normally we go out to dinner.)

3) The Happy List: My Instagram friend Jesse is the kickstarter for this project. She challenged Joy Squad members to join her in making happy lists last year, and I jumped on board in July. I use the lists to document both things that make me happy, and things that I'm grateful for. (These are sometimes one and the same.) I usually stick with five things (my favorite number-can you tell) for my happy list, but there is no set minimum or maximum. I construct my list on Friday and find that this is a good way to remember what's gone right over a span of time. Here's a recent example:

Friends, do you have any ways that you regularly practice gratitude? Please share in the comments section.

I Don't Want to BE the Best, Just DO My Best.

Back in December, I read a post in The Joy Squad Facebook group about finding joy in work. I didn't think too much of it. Sure, I was tired and frustrated about how much I was working, but I'm an achiever, and honestly, I took some pride in how much I was working and how efficient I was being. And then the flu (or a flu-like virus) hit. I ached, ran a fever, had a terrible runny nose, and went to the doctor twice. I was out of work for a almost a week (but thankfully some of the days fell on scheduled vacation/holidays, so I only had to take two days off). I've been lacking in energy since, and thinking more about one particular comment on that post.

A lot of women replied to the post last December, but one response stuck out to me.  That woman wrote, "Now I am back at a corporate job and want nothing more than to break the culture of martyrdom and the glorification of busyness." Those words have resonated with me as I've returned to work. In the past, I've found identity in matryrdom and busyness, but now I find myself thinking differently. I find myself thinking, "I want to do my job and go home" instead of, "What's the most I can work today?" I've been thinking, "I want to meet my efficiency goals," rather than, "I want to exceed my goals this week." I've been thinking about how I want to identify myself as a human, and not as a workaholic.

My mom picks Bible verses to pray for us each year, and for me this year, she chose 1 Peter 4:10. It reads, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms"  (New International Version). This verse really applies to my current outlook on work. I want to do my job and I want to do a good job, because that is what God has called me to do. Sure, I feel a little guilty when I come home early and don't get into overtime, but overtime is not my best work. My best work is when I allow God to fill me up, pour out, and then leave work and go home and get refilled.

Overtime is a part of my job, to be sure, but I want to stop pursuing it. I want to stop looking at our efficiency reports each week and feeling guilty because I'm not leading the pack. Constantly trying to BE the best is exhausting, and at some point will lead to me DOING work that is less than my best. So me new motto is to stop trying to BE the best and start DOING my best. May God give me strength.

I'm linking up with Amanda at Running with Spoons for this Thinking Out Loud post.

My Lack of a Smile Doesn't Mean I'm Unhappy.

If you've read my blog for awhile, you know that I'm a fan of the Chasing Joy podcast. As I listened to Episode 45 with Marian Mellen, I was struck by her comment about smiling in pictures. She noted that Americans feel forced to smile in pictures and show that they are happy, while this isn't so in other countries. As I pondered her statement, I got to thinking about how this country, and especially Christian culture might too strongly associate happiness and smiling.

Although I consider myself a happy person, I'm not necessarily a smiley person. As I've started singing on worship team at church, I've gotten several comments about how I need to smile more. Okay, I'm working on it. But really, do I need to smile while I sing? God is a high and holy and awesome God. Sometimes when I sing, I'm not smiling because I'm standing in awe of God. Sometimes when I sing, I'm not smiling because I'm focusing on the words, lyrics, or music. Sometimes when I sing, I'm just not thinking about smiling and my face is in its natural resting state. I'm okay!

I'll keep trying to smile while I sing, as I know it improves the worship experience of others, but in the meantime, can we work on accepting non-smiling faces? Sometimes people are hurting. Sometimes people are thinking. Sometimes people are sad. Sometimes people are even happy. They just might not be smiling.

I'm linking up with Amanda at Running with Spoons for this Thinking Out Loud post.

Wisconsin: Day 2

We rose bright and early Tuesday morning so that we could head to brother's work. He lives about 30 minutes away and arrives by 7 am. Hats off to him!

I crocheted and listened to podcasts while brother went to meetings. Some of my latest favorite podcasts are:

The Chasing Joy Podcast
Sounds Good

Brother graciously took half a day off work to show me his workplace. It's pretty cool! Granted, I had to endure 30 degree cold temperatures and wind (I know, that's warm for Wisconsin, but it was cold for this sunshine girl.). First stop, seeing this tree house built with scrap lumber from the actual buildings.

Then we saw the farm campus. (Each campus has a theme.) I asked brother to take pictures of me in front of the buildings, rather than just taking scenic shots.

Each campus has a cafeteria, and we dined at one. This white bean chowder was spicy, and to be efficient, brother picked the same thing, and it was too spicy for him. I felt really bad about that!

After lunch, we visited the fountain. Brother tells me it runs until it freezes over, which is apparently a real thing up north. One stream that feeds the fountain was already partially frozen. There's a pond which eventually freezes hard enough for ice skating.

Another campus we visited had a Lord of the Rings theme. Here I am in the grip of an Ent:

Brother said we didn't see all of the campus, and I believe him! Still, we walked over four miles to see the parts we did.

We climbed quite a few stairs, as shown by the elevation map. We also went down a slide. (How cool is it that a workplace has a tube slide for adults?)

Post tour, we rested a bit at home and then hit up the grocery store for some needed Thanksgiving supplies. Let's just say the cupboards needed a little stocking:

We shopped at a two story Target. When we got to the escalator with the cart, Brother had to show me that the cart had its own escalator:

The city-folk probably laughed at me as I took pictures of the cart, but hey, I've never seen a cart escalator before. Have you?

Dinner was vegetable bao zi at The Dumpling Haus. Brother knows that I like trying new food, so he intentionally took me to exotic restaurants.

Post dinner, I sorted food and organized the kitchen. Then it was to bed for me.

Day 3 to come tomorrow.

What's Helping Me Get Through

Work's a little busy. Life's a little crazy. How am I getting through? These five self-care practices help:

1) Slow breakfasts: Giving myself 45 minutes to sit and eat and scroll through my phone. Admittedly, I can get overly caught up in negative research on my phone, or fall into the comparison trap of social media, but overall, it's a good habit.

2) Sleep: I can't get enough of it, and weekend naps are key! I sometimes give up other social engagements or activities to get in my time. Sleep is just so important right now.

3) Podcasts: Filling my mind with positive thoughts helps fight the negative ones. External noise also helps quiet the internal noise. Right now, I'm a major fan of The Chasing Joy Podcast with Georgie Morley. It's positive content and helpful tips for living a life of overall wellness. Double win!

4) Eating more protein: Days are long and being hungry/having low blood sugar just isn't good. So even though I'd like to be vegetarian, I've started eating more meat. I've also started supplementing my diet with and protein powder and protein bars. Right now, I just need that little "extra."

5) Moving: I still haven't quite figured out the right rest and exercise balance, but moving feels good, especially when I sit at a desk or ride in a car all day. Sometimes movement is walking, sometimes slowly running (or trotting, as I prefer to call it), sometimes yoga, and sometimes weightlifting and/or HIIT. Movement just makes the day go better, and sometime being sore gives me something to focus on other than ruminating about the craziness of life

These are the current ways I'm practicing self-care, but what about you? What's getting you through right now?