We all have stories. Good. Bad. Ugly. Indifferent. Often, the good is on display. If we listen to our testimonies in church, we hear of success stories. For example: God granting us material blessings in time of need. There is nothing wrong with this. However, we don’t necessarily hear of the struggle and wrestling with being disciplined enough to read Scripture.

The same goes for social media. Persons often post a beautiful, glamourous life. For many females, I believe that would entail the three M’s: money, man, and mansion. Again, nothing is wrong with this.

However, onlookers, for some reason, are led to believe that they are one of two things:

1. Inferior to the person who posts.

The “hype” life that is being portrayed make persons believe that they are enough and will never be enough. We are led to believe that celebrities are worth celebrating more than the life we are leading. Seemingly, we don’t have our lives together based on what “they” have. “They” become a standard for success.

2. Superior to the person who posts.

In this case, the life being portrayed causes persons to be filled with pride. There is a mentality of “I am better than you”. It is as if one’s influence and the quality of one’s possessions make him/her have a sense of arrogance. Therefore, others are looked down upon. “I” become the standard for success.

Both perspectives are flawed.

People will always post things. We don’t know what goes on behind Instagram posts. We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes of a Facebook like. Some work assiduously for what they have. For others, it is just a show. “A Photoshopped Life”, if you will. We should never let the glamourous life deny us of the blessings that we have. Celebrate the good of influencers. Stand with those who are vulnerable. We are all humans trying to live this life with a good sense of balance.

At the end of the day, our worth should not be placed in temporal things, such as likes, cars, the ability to travel the world and an active social life. We are more than this. You are more than this. Celebrate you.

^{Photo by “Joel” Tucker (IG: @jo_media_)}