The Appreciator!

I had an entirely different post scheduled for today.  It was a post of all the fun things I’ve found and screen grabbed over the past few months.  However, there is something bigger weighing on my mind.

It’s kinda deep so feel free to wait for the fun post tomorrow.  

These thoughts come in the wake of the #metoo movement.  Also:

• after I heard a disturbing question on a podcast, I heard today and
• being overwhelmed by social media and all the available CONTENT that is out there waiting for me to consume it

the comment on the podcast was depressing.  I’ve thought about it all day today on my drive up north.  A 19-year-old girl left a message to the “Forever 35” hosts wondering if the “urge to crawl out of your own skin goes away as you get older.” 

First of all, this is a podcast on face serums for women who want to be “Forever 35.”  The misplaced question from the girl came out of left field but was honest and in search of an honest answer.   It made me think about how different kids have it now compared to when I was 19 years old.  The same pressures exist – school, boyfriends, parents, what-are-you-going-to-do-with-the-rest-of-your-life, drinking, boyfriends.  Did I already say that one?  However, now on top of that, you just have MORE crap shoved in your head from Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and more.   All from people you know and don’t know.  It’s now not celebrities that have it all anymore.  According to social media, EVERYONE has it all!

Someone as old and mature as me can (sometimes) keep it in its place.  But, it can make anyone want to crawl out of their own skin.  No matter what your age is.  Nowadays, bullies don’t just exist on playgrounds shoving their face into yours, they lie in snarky comments on newsfeeds.

We don’t really know exactly what she meant by that comment. But my answer to her would have been this:

Yes.  Hopefully.  You recognize that you want to crawl out of your skin, so here is where you don’t want to be.  Where do you want to be? This is important to figure out because there is one thing that can shift your focus from wanting to crawl out of your skin to loving the skin you’re in.  

And that is passion. Passion gives you focus beyond yourself.  At <cough cough> years old, here are some real-life passions of my friends and family:

• YOGA.  Either going to yoga regularly or becoming a teacher, an expert
• MARKETING.  Selling consumers in a relevant way
• CARDS.  Yep, playing cards, socializing and laughing is a great passion to have.
• SAVING KIDS.  Fundraising to stop the sex trafficking of children in the US
• CAREER.  Passionate about learning and climbing up the ranks at work
• FAMILY. Building one starting with the love of their life and then kids
• BEING HEALTHY.  Snubbing the nose at chocolate chip cookies and loving feeling good
• FAMILY BUSINESS. Growing the family business.  Contributing!
• ENTREPRENEUR.  Doing it for yourself!  See how far you can go.
• BIKES.  Building them, selling them, showing them
• DOGS.  Loving them, saving them, volunteering to help them
• ADOPTION.  Passionate about bringing children into their family as their own
• BLOGGING.  Writing and sharing about life and whatnot
• MUSIC.  Creating a feeling, a show
• COOKING.  Mixing, making and sharing
• ENTERTAINING.
• IMPROV.
• DANCING.
• VOLUNTEERING.
• CREATING.

SHALL I GO ON?  I can give you one or more person I know with these passions. 

It’s ok to feel like you want to crawl out of your skin.  For now.  But don’t stay there.  Grab a passion and blow it out.  Let it become bigger and bigger.  Hopefully, before long, your focus will not be on getting outside of yourself but loving the fact that you’re exploring things that you’re passionate about.