Tag Archives: wisdom

How to Find the Secret Wisdom in Your Social Media Activity

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My millennial children don’t seem to be bothered at all by the steady influx of information that is presented to us on social media.  This is after all “life as they know it” and because I like to keep up with them, it is “life as I know it now.” After years of questioning the value of what I perceived as information overload, I have come to appreciate the beautiful images and inspiration generated by my favorite wisdom authors.  Through social media, I can actually have  a conversation with them. Still, I wonder how many of us are integrating into our lives all that we like and share and tweet…

Recently I learned about an important function that has emerged in this warp-speed environment of the tweet and retweet – the role of information curator. (A curator is a keeper, custodian, overseer who “takes care of” a collection.) The information curator shares blogs, articles, studies, images and many other forms of content from a particular subject, and becomes an expert for others who then rely on this trusted source for reliable information related to the topic.

While I am not currently as active with sharing content on my social media sites as others do, I’m a curator myself, a curator of the inner life. See, for years, I’ve been writing my own life lessons as I record heartaches, joys, family memories, losses, gains, thoughts and ideas. Every January 1st, I review my last year’s journal entries to notice recurring themes and influences shaping my life. And, in this “curation” of my writings, I learn – about myself, about who and what matters to me, about my dreams and hopes, about what excites and scares me, about who I am and how I want to be remembered. I discover the journal entries that I would “retweet” – because it rings just as true weeks and months later as it did when I first wrote it – or the ones that I would “like” into my “favorites” in order to keep track of insights I don’t want to forget.

If journaling is not your thing or it just isn’t something that you’ve ever tried before, then here’s a simple and meaningful exercise that you can do to identify what you have been drawn to in social media and how it contributes to the development of your own inner wisdom.

  1. Pick a social medium that you use-maybe it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or any of the other sites you use for sharing.  It doesn’t matter which you choose to review.
  2. If you are very active (every day or two) then go back over the last week of shares, posts, likes, retweets, etc.  If you’re not as active, choose a longer timeline like a month or more of content.
  3. Read over your content. If you posted or wrote articles, make a list of the article titles.   If you shared pictures, then select one word or phrase to describe each one and add these to your list.
  4. Now, look over your list and answer the following questions: “What do I notice about the content of what I shared, liked, retweeted etc.?  Is there a primary theme or category to the photos, words or phrases that were used?       
  5. Then, ask yourself, “What am I learning about myself or what have I noticed is important to me?   

After you have completed the exercise, sit quietly for a moment and recognize that your inner wisdom has been at work – collecting insights, ideas, thoughts, and perceptions that you are curating every day, every second of the day.  You can trust that this wisdom will be available to you when you stop and listen deeply, often providing answers to your own life questions when you least expect it.

Thank you for reading and reflecting.
If you wish, please leave a comment, reflection or thought below so that we can all learn from our shared wisdom and insights.

Honoring Our Memories During the Holidays

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I recently attended the calling hours of an old friend who had passed away. He was a kind man who had touched many lives, so the receiving line was full as we slowly moved down to the visitation area. It had been more than a decade since I had seen his wife and kids even though we had vacationed together when our families were young. As the receiving line moved closer, the son glanced over in my direction and smiled. I smiled back even though I thought he was looking at someone else: “Surely he didn’t remember me?” However, when we stood face to face, his steady look of recognition was clear so I gave him a big hug. As we talked about his dad, he recalled that we had stayed in his family’s pop-up camper. I wondered what was in his memory of that time.

I have been thinking a lot about the power of memory lately because the holidays often stimulate it in a special way. It is as if all the remembrances from holidays past are strung together on a long garland that stretches out into infinity. Connecting time and space, I feel like I could step into any holiday scene and be with the people who were dear to me. There is something about the lights, sounds and pleasant cooking aroma that produce the effect of time travel. Simply by closing my eyes and remembering…… the people in my life that I have lost are by my side once again. Their spirits dance around in my heart.

“May loving memories bring you peace and comfort,” is often written in sympathy cards; it is a healing message at the time of a loved one’s passing. After a while the energy of reminiscence becomes the thread that keeps them alive. If we forget to remember, then death becomes permanent. Our busy lives can sometimes prevent us from just stopping and letting a memory sink in. Yet the ability to do so is always within our reach. Why is it even important?

The encounter with my friend’s son at the funeral home moved me deeply. As I grow older, I sometimes fear being forgotten, so he offered me a great gift just by remembering who I was. But, then I began to think, “How does he remember me? Is it a positive memory?” I began to consider how I wanted to be remembered: Is my life reflecting the values that are important to me? Am I creating meaningful experiences with my loved ones to remember?

These questions have motivated me to be present with each person I encounter and live my life fully in each moment. But, they also remind me to honor the lives of the people I have lost by bringing to mind the memories of their essence…to watch their spirits twinkling in the holiday lights, knowing that one day I will join them.

Who will you think about today? What memory is stirring in your heart waiting to be released?

To Share or Not to Share?

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In this time of think and click communication, whether we share or not share is important to question.  We have seen how easy access to ranting on social media can stir up a hornet’s nest of stinging thoughts.  We just react and then go about our business while the bite pain throbs where we have been stung.  Sometimes the rant continues in our head until we notice that we haven’t been paying attention to what we are doing.  Often we return to the social media site, rather than stay with the discomfort.  We send more thoughts out into the world to relieve the pressure we feel within ourselves.

This is where, I would suggest reflective writing.  Even if you are not interested in joining those of us who keep a personal journal, you can still practice techniques that provide an outlet for strong emotions.  They can be written on a blank sheet of paper and later ceremoniously discarded.  Here are a couple of suggestions to try the next time a social media post has your internal anger meter filling up like Bruce Banner before he becomes the Hulk .

  • Flow-write for 5 minutes. Set a timer, pick up a pen and paper or tap at a keyboard (not a social media site) and let yourself write whatever thoughts are coming into your head.  Do not censor or edit–just get it out!
  • Re-read what you have written and add this sentence: “When I re-read this, I notice, I am aware of….”  Write for another 3-5 minutes.
  • Think of someone in your life, who expresses opinions you respect. Someone who usually offers you calm, rational advice.  What would this person say to you right now?  Write this response.
  • Identify what you have learned about yourself in this writing exercise. If there is a lesson here that you wish to share, discuss it with someone you trust before you consider posting it.  If your writing contains a message that is of value for others to read, it will only be made clearer by this process.  Don’t forget to discard the rant!