Originally published by Drunken Pen Writing on February 13th, 2018.
In this crazy 24-hour news cycle, trending event of the hour, easily offended and overly sensitive world, it’s easy to feel like you don’t really matter; like your voice is never heard over the cacophony of bloggers, popular tweeters, and celebrities. But here’s something most people won’t tell you before, during, or after they criticize or ignore you: your life does matter. Your voice matters. You matter.
In the social media age when we are more connected than ever, we seem to be more alone, too. Being able to connect with others is great, but when thousands upon thousands of people inhabit a certain area at any given time, you become another number. Another face in the digital crowd. But that’s not where you stand in real life. You don’t need to feel alone or distant from others. There are real connections to be made and they aren’t online.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you rely on social media for your quick and easy rush of dopamine. We all like to feel special and unique. The problem is, we try to satiate that need through Facebook and Instagram likes. We calculate our worth by the number of Twitter followers and how many retweets we get. THESE THINGS AREN’T REAL! They have no value.
You weren’t born to please others or bust your ass creating a work of art just so a random stranger takes the split-second needed to hit the like button while scrolling through their feed. The opinions of others are not a reflection of who you are or why you matter in this world. Your actions define you. Your character and morals as an individual are what define you as a person. Not what others think of your latest selfie.
If you want to feel something real—feel important and worthwhile in this crazy world—pursue a passion. Find meaning in your life. Instead of worrying about how others view you, focus on chasing your dreams. Don’t become that person who works a job they hate, lives in a rundown apartment they despise, but takes the time to frame a picture just right so they appear to be living a happy and successful life to the strangers who follow them online. What is the point of that?
No, what you should do is live how you want to live. Instead of stuntin’ on Instagram, stunt in real life by furthering your education/career, personal relationships with people, and hitting your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. If you do this, you won’t need to pretend you’re living the kind of life people would be envious of. You WILL be living that life. Only, you won’t care if people envy you, because you’ll know that the opinions of others don’t matter. It’s only the opinion you have of yourself that truly matters.
Caleb James K. 