“I’m hilarious.” That’s a statement I make often, but only to a small group of people, a group of people that I know won’t judge me as arrogant, but will just take it the way I intend it and roll their eyes at me. Recently, though, I posted an Instagram story about hearing a thumping sound when I was at work alone, which prompted someone to suggest that I should make YouTube videos. Here’s the thing…I would love to make YouTube videos. Or start a podcast. Or do anything like that, just because I think it would be fun. It doesn’t seem that hard…I mean, ask the people closest to me…they’ll tell you I have side commentary on literally EVERYTHING. I have a lot to say about life as it happens around me.
Then, when I actually think about what I would do or say in an official format, like a podcast or YouTube channel, I get completely stumped. “Do I actually have anything of value to share?” That, my friends, is where we get a clear picture of one of my fears and faults.
Does anyone actually think about something just the right amount? I feel like we live in a world of people who either don’t think at all before they speak or act, or way overthink everything. I fall into that latter category for SURE. “Can I post that? Say that? Share that? Is it relevant enough? Is it funny enough? Will they get the joke? Is it ok for me, as a Christian? As a church worker? Would anyone care to see this? Will someone be offended by this?” The list goes on and on and on…
Social media, if we’re being honest, enables both kinds of people, but I would bet it’s had a much more damaging effect on the people like me, who overthink everything. We’re totally putting ourselves out there for people to judge, to “react” to us. So now we spend even more time thinking. (That’s probably part of why I’ve struggled to write this blog consistently.)
Additionally, social media allows us to cherry pick which pieces of our lives we share. I was recently talking to a group of students about that idea, that, often times, people share only the best parts of what’s going on. No one is going to post a picture of their ripped pants after they fall down (although I assured them that’s exactly the kind of thing I’d post, which is true!). They post when they’re at the beach, or doing some other kind of awesomely awesome thing.
Sooooooo, I’m committing to you right now, but mostly to myself, that I’m going to stop overthinking how I share myself with the world. I’ll share about the ridiculous things that happen to me. I’ll let you hear my commentary on life every now and then. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find out that I am, in fact, hilarious.