Does Social Media Waste Time?

Written By Don Shetterly

I'm considering dropping off of social media altogether.  In my mind, I'm asking the question, does social media waste time?

If you drop off of social media, does that mean you still exist?  I wonder some days because it seems like all that matters.

On Facebook, people post "simple things" that would have been emailed forwarded at one time.  These things barely say anything, but everyone does it.  Then people react.  When I see that "someone has reacted," I'm thinking ok - is that a good thing?  It just seems so superficial to me.  It doesn't feel real or authentic on Facebook.  If it does to you, then by all means continue.  I've just seen people that once emailed me with "substance" now click like or react to something I've put on Facebook.

On Twitter, people retweet and do all kinds of gimmicks that just get annoying.  They are superficial responses in my mind.  After seeing a thousand of these come through at a time, it gets mind-boggling.  

On Instagram, people love to share pictures of their food or other things that you can barely tell what they are.  I guess if you're there, the image means something but to most people, it doesn't give a clear picture.  Of course, there are the likes on that as well which are supposed to mean something in our day.

Let's not even worry about all the other social media sites.  There are too many to name.

We have so much superficial communication going on that no wonder it seems like we're all so disconnected.  We have so many ways to connect with one another, and yet we're like superficial wanderers passing one another in the dark.

People rant and rave all day thinking they are doing something good, but in my view, it is just passing the stuff on, not helping in the least.  If you elevate that which you don't like, you're suppressing the good stuff in my view.

People exclaim how bad some people are, yet they go off and do the same thing.  Am I doing the same thing here?  I hope not.  They elevate the bullies by giving them a voice when if most bullies had no audience, they probably would not do half of what they do.  Maybe I just live in a pie-in-the-sky world with how I view things, but I'm really tired of all of this on social media.

I think we are either part of the solution or part of the problem.  The answer is not always out-screaming the other person proving that you're right and they are wrong.

Social media feels like a waste of time to me. 
I'm not sure if I will continue it or severely limit how
much time I spend on it (more than I do now). 

I honestly think we need to learn how to be human again in our communication.  Likes, retweets, shares, and screaming isn't doing it.  We're becoming less than human in my view.  It is not how you build a society or find ways to work together.  Well, at least in its current form, this is not working.

Surely we can find better ways to make use of social media then letting our own egos take control of the keyboard.  No, it isn't everyone else out there doing this.  We're all at fault.  We just don't see the log in our own eye.

What do you think?  How do you see Social Media?

By the way, read an earlier blog post about "Your Personal Power Of Communication."  It speaks more to this issue.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/1/18 by Don Shetterly

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Are You Asleep Online

So, if you read yesterday's blog post from June 13, 2017, this is the point where we jump into things a little deeper.  Are you asleep online?  That's the question, so let's expand upon what I briefly described as an example.

Here's an excerpt from yesterday:

Joe goes browsing through his many social media accounts and only reads a few words.  Rather than reading the whole thing or reading the link behind it, Joe furiously types on his keypad making his point known in response. (click to read the whole example)

We've all been there and done this.  One time doesn't mean much of anything, because we can get so busy that the social media feeds through quicker than what we can keep up with.  If you look at the number of followers I have, you'll understand why my news feed on Twitter zips by quickly.

However, this is more deep than just missing something.  This is not really reading or seeing what is before us, but only taking less than minimal effort to exist in the space of online social media.  Yes, online social media is designed to get us to react, not necessarily think about all the edges of where we are.

Sometimes we need to stop and slow down and think through what it is that we read.  Sometimes we don't have to click on everything we see, and engage.  We end up shortchanging ourselves and the person that shares stuff, which is not respectful at all.

However, in this case, we are far too quick to respond as if we have all the answers, rather than saying, "what can I learn from this" or "how can I apply it to my life?"  Yes, I know, there are far too many memes and thoughts circulated on Twitter and Facebook, but we do need to apply filters.

Just going through the motions of reading without fully seeing all that we are reading is behavior that has us asleep online rather than awake.  It is up to us to engage in a way that is honoring to ourselves and others.  No one can do that for us.  It is solely up to our own choices in how we proceed.

Online social media like Twitter and Facebook should be tools to help enhance our lives, not distract from what it means to be human.  If we want to be awake, it must start within each one of us, for what we do makes up the collective online social media experience.  Let us be awake, rather than asleep.

Make sure you check out the next part in this 11 part series

 Part 3 is "Asleep With The Latest News"

 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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How Impersonal Can You Get?

I scratch my head sometimes trying to figure out the human species.  We have all these communication forms at our fingertips and yet, it seems like we don't know how to communicate.

We are so busy with our lives, that we don't stop to take a moment and say "hello" or "how are you doing" or some other simple statement.  We just go on and on about how busy we are and how we've got a zillion things to do and how we just don't have time to keep up with any of our friends.  We apologize ad nausea until our repeated apologies sound like a broken record.

Yet, the minute the latest political story of the day comes out, we are on it so hard.  We're tweeting away, we're texting our friends, or we're liking it on Facebook.  It becomes our sole focus and then consumes us, but yet, we are too busy for others in our lives.

Anything more than a simple text or tweet or Facebook like seems to be quite complicated for most humans these days.  I mean, why engage and truly let someone know they matter in your life, when you can just click a little heart or click a like.  How impersonal can you get?  Yes, I know these platforms draw you in to make it so easy to do, but it is the lowest form of communication that you can do.

I see various people that I've communicated with on a regular basis ignore me almost since I'm no longer real active on Facebook.  Without Facebook, it is like you don't exist.  If you don't text people, it is like you don't exist.  Sorry, but how in the world did we ever manage up to this point in time without Facebook, Text Message, and Twitter?  I'm being sarcastic there of course.

If my memory serves me correctly, there is a song that Tracy Lawrence sings (might have the wrong country music artist) but it is about if everyone had a front porch - in other words - people got to know one another and communicate with one another.  It is a thing of the past that I miss.  Yet, in those days, we only saw and heard what we wanted to see as well.  It wasn't always a good thing as we want to remember.

We've become so impersonal with our communication that we barely know one another.  We're more interested in screaming at one another through social media, than we are seeing each other through eyes of love, compassion, and understanding.  We're more interested in screaming our beliefs and opinions at one another than we are just communicating with one another.  We're more interested in hating one another than truly loving each other.

If we don't watch out, we will wake up one of these days and wonder who these other two-legged creatures are around us.  It takes communication.  It takes not being too busy for others.  It takes really making a personal effort by each one of us to make an attempt to see those around us in our life as if they matter.

Are we too busy for others?  Unfortunately, the rhetorical question deserves an answer of YES.  It is up to each one of us to change that.  It isn't the fault of anyone else out there in the world.  Either you're too busy for others in your life or you make time for them.  It is that plain and simple.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Jumping To Conclusions On Diagnosing Others

Whoa there now!  I mean, let's tread carefully here.  It seems there have been reports by many people that people on these new fangled online social media accounts are jumpin too conclusions a little too quickly. 

I know, I know, you've got to get home and beat that laundry on the rock down by the river, but it will wait a second or two.  There's a little extra moonlight tonight so you can see to get back to the old homestead.

I don't know much about this thing in these parts that they call Twitter and Facebook.  Honestly,  I'm not sure why anyone would try and make their face into a book. 

Whatever a twitter is, I'm guessing it has something to do with me after I've drank too much cold morning leftover coffee from the trail.  Back in my day, we just yacked at night around the campfire.  We didn't need these new light box things that you hold between your thumbs.

Well, back to the point before the fire goes down and its time to bed down for the night.

You all might be smart, but diagnosing someone based upon a picture you see on these social media accounts is pretty foolish.  Worse yet, if you read a few characters (words as we call them) and you know what the person needs to do, well, I just don't know.  I mean, you need to sit around the campfire for a bit and chat with each other before drawing conclusions. 

I mean, come on.  There's all kinds of folks on the trail that you meet, but I've never seen someone shout from one end of the wagon train to the other with advice about something they can't see.  Imagine if we steered the wagon train by what the person in the back shouts up to the front.  They can't see the view in front like the one in the first wagon.  People are like that too.  No one can see what the individual is going through in their life.

Now, ya'll can just go on and jump to conclusions, but sooner or later, it will leave you looking like you fell off the cliff buck naked in a briar patch.  All I can think to say at this point is "whoa, horses"... let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Well, that's all folks.  See you on down the trail and hope the weather holds out until you get to your final destination.

#TellingOthersWhatToDo

People Will Know You By What You Say

Those pesky little social media posts.  They are pretty telling about a person.  I'm sure most people would probably cringe at the thought of some of these social media posts and emails being read back in a public spotlight.  Yet, it seems no one stops to think about it at the time they write them.

People will know you by what you say.  They really will.  If you want to get a feel for what someone is like, just take a read down through their social media postings.  It will say plenty.

Imagine if someone that didn't know you was given "opposition research" on you.  All of their social media posts and emails and things they said was printed out in a detailed and fact-oriented paper.  What would it say about you?  How would your words present you to the world?

I think there are many if not most people who would be embarrassed if your minister started quoting you in a church service or maybe in a public school meeting, your words were read out loud.  Maybe, for the guy or girl you were trying to get a date with, someone popped up and shared everything you wrote.

Would your words be helpful?

How about if what you had posted was given to your small child at birth as an instruction manual on how they should treat others.  Would it be helpful to them or if they started imitating your words among other children, how would it look?

I'm not saying you can't be real, but what I am saying is that we often try to make others believe one thing about us, while saying just the opposite in our words.  We hold ourselves up as the voice for all to follow, yet we forget about following our own advice.

People will know you by what you say...

People will know you by what you say, whether it is good or bad.  They will see the real you come out, even if it is a numbed and disconnected display.

To go out and hold yourself up so high and then be so blind as not seeing how much you tear people apart is just not human.  Yes, it takes some self control and that is lacking big time in online social media.  Facebook and Twitter and other places thrive on this part of human behavior.  They have built billion dollar businesses exploiting this in people.

The point is, if you're going to say one thing to the world, let your words match it.  Ponder what it is that you say and do because those things show your true colors and intent.  It doesn't matter which side of the spectrum you fall on in life, we all do this to some degree.

Let us build and lift one another up so we can all achieve greater heights.  As we do this, we will advance the world in a much better way than anything else that can be done.  It is up to us to know thyself and determine if our words truly match what we think we say.

#TreatOthers

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Top 10 Ways To Be Annoying On Twitter

It is getting crazy on Twitter.  I quit Facebook some time ago because I was tired of the useless nonsense that everyone posted.  Twitter is about the same, but you can scroll through it a lot quicker.  Instagram is getting to the point, it is just as bad as Twitter and Facebook.

I would so love it if these social media sites would be worth something, but I'm really questioning if they are worth the time.  So, out of my frustration, I'm writing this blog post on "how to be annoying on twitter".  This goes for Facebook and the others as well.

Top 10 Ways To Be Annoying On Twitter

1. Sending auto direct messages to everyone that follows you.  After all, they don't see enough direct messages in a day.
2. Don't follow up with the auto direct messages you send out.  After all, your beautiful message making it look like you care about a new follower, often it means nothing.  I've tried responding to several only to never hear from the person. 
3. Play the unfollow/follow game because people just love to have you follow them only to see you unfollow quickly especially after you pledged your complete adoration for them in a direct message.  
4. Post links to websites that are only designed to get you to sign up on a mailing list long before you even know what they are about. 
5. Post links to websites that have a thousand popup ads and windows that appear when you try to read the nonexistent article you led them to believe they were looking for. 
6. Display pictures that are designed to make you think OMG!  They are nothing more than attention getting and most of the time so disgusting that who in their right mind would want to see them. 
7.  If someone didn't see your annoying pictures the first 1000 times, coming back and following them as another twitter user is sure to annoy them even more by posting them under additional accounts you have.
8. Thinking that everyone wants to see pornographic pictures in their news feed especially when they are in public.  I mean, who would want a small child looking over your shoulder on a plane seeing the porn stuff you post when you don't want it in the first place.
9. Making sure that everyone knows your political or religious views regardless of what they are. 
10. Constantly spreading memes around on Twitter that really don't mean much, but the words jumbled together sound pretty. 

I'm sure there are more that any of us could list.  I try my hardest to put information up that I believe is useful to the population in general.  I'm sure there are those that don't agree with my views on some of the issues I write about, but they are more than welcome to leave those comments on my blog.

Unfortunately, we've reduced life and the human existence down to a 140 characters meme that we forward to our followers.  It seems that we don't value life any more than that, but we will scream and exclaim we do.

Maybe its time we evaluate our role in all of this, not the role others play.  For if we add to the problem, we're no better than the ones we scream about on twitter.

I know, I'm trying.  Maybe I fail at times as well, but I'm trying!

#SocialMedia

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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I Refuse

I'm writing this long before it is published, but it will most likely be relevant at any time it is posted.  In today's age, we have become hatemongers with one another.

We don't care about another point of view or belief.  We just demand that ours is the correct one and all others are wrong.

So today, I state the following.

Join with me if you plan to do the same.



I Refuse!

• I refuse to partake in the hate-mongering that is thriving online.  If I cannot say something nice about someone, I will be silent.
• I refuse to partake in the sensationalized drama that is spread through ridiculous social media postings with its only intent is to get you to click on something.
• I refuse to partake in one-sided arguments where facts are omitted, but belief and opinion are the only arguments.
• I refuse to propagate pictures and images and social media posts that demean any group or political ideology or persons that are different than me.
• I refuse to spread false lies and innuendo just because someone on social media claims it is true.  I will check the facts out and if I cannot verify it, I will not spread it forward.
• I refuse to pass claims along that appear to be valid, but have no basis in fact or ones that have been proven to be untrue.  I will take a minute to think before I forward and like a social media posting.
• I refuse to add more screaming and yelling to the mix of social media, especially when no one is listening to anyone but themselves.
• I refuse to live my life on social media because even though I may have connections, I know that it is the true friends you can see and talk to in life that make a big difference.
• I refuse to get worked up about every social media posting just because the crowd has their pitchforks raised in the air and chanting in unison.

Social media is a good way to help advance things in the world, but lately all I have seen is a place that is degrading to humanity.  The only way we can rise above all of this is if we don't propagate on that which we despise and hate.

If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem.

You can expect my social media posts to be respectful, compassionate and hopefully ones that help others heal and advance their lives.  If I fail in this regard, please private message me and show me where I failed.  I will try to correct it immediately. 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Demise Of Facebook

At one time, I had some great friends on a platform called Xanga.  It was a great place to go and not feel pressured or inundated with things you didn't care to see or read.  Then Facebook showed up and everyone went there.  At first it was nice, but then it happened.  The demise of Facebook.

Facebook became this place where you saw everything people liked and loved and shared.  It replaced the email chain letters of stuff that could almost sound true, but no one checked out. It became the place where every "pretty" saying and every "pretty" picture was shared and re-shared and then shared again.

Facebook became the go to place for politics.  It was where all your friends needed to see every article and post and promote all things political.  The politicians loved it.  Most people hated it.  After all, the propagation of hatred from one person to another is more than one can often stomach in a day.

Then there was the messenger app that Facebook thought was so important.  In fact, they want to replace the telephone with it.  Sure, I want to stare at my phone all day waiting for a message to pop up and then in the most inefficient form of communication, type a reply with my thumbs!  Sure!  Sign me up!

Organizations pushing their agenda started using Facebook.  They forwarded on every picture known to man of something being abused or wronged.  They forwarded on their one and only belief as to what all should concern themselves with 100% of the time.

Petition after petition, recall after recall and cause after cause, Facebook forced people to be overwhelmed by all of it.  One could spend 24 hours a day with all of these "good" and "righteous" and "things you should do" but have very little to show for it at the end of the day.

Granted, there are good things about Facebook but all too often those good things turn into a saturation of an annoyance.  If something could be in moderation, it would be good.  If something didn't have to get propagated like there was no tomorrow coming, it would be lovely.

Of course, Facebook knew that if they showed you everything your friends liked and shared and subscribed to, that somehow this would be a good thing.  Unfortunately, it over-saturates what you see in a day that you barely want to read anything.  It is good for the bottom line wealth of what the Facebook founders make and so it isn't going to change anytime soon.

The stuff that I would love to see like things going on in a friend's life are hidden by their constant propagation of forwarded memes, pictures, sayings, political blips and ads.  How on earth can anyone possibly read most of that, let alone show a level of care.  If it was a way to keep in touch with friends about what is going on in their life, it would be great.  It is not.

So, for that reason, like others, I see the demise of Facebook at full steam.  I see little benefit to it and will miss my friends, because all too many of them have forgotten how to call or email.  I'm tired of wasting far too much of my day on this platform for little in return.  I don't wish to be a mind-numbed robot.  I'll leave that up to others to  be part of.

Facebook, if I'm making you sad, please just go post a happy thought, okay?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/17/16 by Don Shetterly

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Bullies With Pitchforks And Torches

I really don't understand people these days.  I read something online of a lady who posted a drunken rant against a restaurant in Indianapolis Indiana.  There is nothing about this rant that was good or right or decent.

After all, a customer had fallen ill and had a heart attack.  To complain about this or somehow make it into a rant against a business such as the restaurant, is beyond my comprehension.  The restaurant's response was good and right I thought.

However, I saw people commenting on Facebook where the drunken rant lady worked.  It was in a salon and spa.  So, since this individual shut down her Facebook account, goodie two shoe people started commenting and urged people to go to the salon's site and leave comments.

Keep in mind that this salon had actually nothing to do with what happened.  None of the salon people were there and they were not connected to it in anyway except for this one employee.  The pitchfork mob though on social media determined that somehow they needed to take down the Salon's site with their holier than thou approach.  They were angry if the owner was trying to stop them from posting these comments on the Salon's Facebook page.

I'm disturbed these days by what happens on social media.  It is basically an avenue for bullies with pitchforks and torches.  Heck, we might as well get the torches and burn whoever we disagree with at the stake.  I know I'm writing a little on the wild side here, but it honestly is what it feels like.  We can't disagree these days without getting the pitchforks and torches out.

I hate to see someone's business demolished because of a group of people who think they are better than everyone, trashing the site of someone with absolutely no relevancy to what took place.  We need to start thinking a little more what we do on social media than just burning everyone down.

There is far too much unconsciousness on social media.  People just share everything that comes along their news feed without giving a thought to what they are doing.  A little moderation goes a long ways and that's missing on social media.

It is sad though how people react with get the pitchfork mentality and convict someone, try them and sentence them without even knowing most of what happened.  The even sadder part is that I don't see this changing and improving any time soon.  I wonder what it will take to get people to wake up.

Years ago, we had online forums and message boards.  Time and time again, if you were a moderator, you had to watch out for the ones that would just cause endless terror on these sites.  It was just too easy for someone to type whatever they wanted to a screen without giving thought to what they were truly saying.  It was almost like there was no human on the other side of that conversation.

I've seen some contacts and people I am connected to on Facebook and Twitter do some of this very same action.  I find it disturbing and sad.  I wish it would stop.

We talk about bullying in schools, but we allow it among adults.  It is time it stops!  Let's throw the pitchforks in the fire and maybe sit around the fire and get to know one another.  Let's work at finding the common ground.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/3/16 by Don Shetterly

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Why Make Fun Of People

Everyday on Facebook and Twitter and I'm sure a hundred other social media sites, there is just so much shared that is disrespectful.  It is not human.  I just don't understand why people think it is okay and fun and correct to make fun of people.

So what if the person is different?  So what if they have a different color skin?  It doesn't matter if they are gay or small or overweight or have pointed noses and ears.

It is disgusting how people do this and then they propagate it on by sharing and liking it and forwarding it.  Despicable! I have even seen upstanding people who think they are on the right side of politics forward some pretty disgusting stuff.  At the same time, they claim how bad the other side is?

Quit sharing and liking and forwarding the stuff on.  That will help a the entire world a tremendous amount.  Quit seeing everyone different from you as someone you should fear and hate and loathe.  Quit listening to the every day news stories that claims you should hate or dislike certain groups.

If we did this in school when we were younger, we would have gotten in trouble for it.  We expect more from our children then we do for ourselves.  It is like we are telling our children to do what we say, but don't do what you see us do.  Actions speak louder than words.

Why anyone makes fun of people, I don't understand.  We are all cells, tissues, organs and bones.  We all have a heart and a brain, toes and feet, arms and hands.  We are all human and we speak different languages.  We see things differently and we believe differently.  We are all essentially the same makeup biologically.

Instead of making fun of other people, why don't we try see just how much we are alike.  Let's see the similarities with others and try to ignore the differences.  We're not going to survive as a human civilization if all we do is make fun of people each hour of every day.

When we make fun of people, it is the same as when we make fun of ourselves.  We don't value our self enough to see the good in others.  We don't respect our self enough to respect others.

It is time we stop and reverse the course that we are now on.  We have lowered ourselves to such a low level that the mud pit of life is getting pretty crowded.  We're trampling upon each other just to entertain ourselves, but one of these days we will need each other.  Hopefully Facebook and Twitter isn't around to stop that!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/31/15 by Don Shetterly

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Social Media Break

Don't tell anyone!  I'm taking a break.  Yep, I'm taking a break away from Social Media.  I really just mean Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter.  I'm sure they don't want me to take a break and in fact it is hard to stay away.

So much of society and our friends these days, use Facebook rather than email to communicate.  So, if you don't have Facebook, you're going to lose contact with your friends.  It is that plain and simple.  If you don't believe me, try it and you'll see this quickly.

Facebook has made it very addictive and I'm sure I'm not telling them anything they don't already know.  In all reality, you're an income stream for them.  The more they get you on Facebook, the more advertising they can pass by your eyes.  The more chance they have to get you to play a game and buy something, or just spend money on their site.

Twitter is almost the same way these days.  LinkedIn is well, just LinkedIn that no one knows what to do on it.

The thing that really got me on Facebook is the hatred posts that get added and shared and liked so much that one is just ready to scream.  I was so tired of seeing this and that is an understatement.  No one has any decency online it seems.  I just have no desire to see this, hear it, read it, or participate in it.

The Game of Social Media Likes

Some days I just shake my head in disbelief.  The communication we now employ among others in our civilization is not really communication.  It is a fake put on smile.  It is a fake series of keystrokes designed to make everyone believe it is useful and valid.

It is a game of social media likes.  It is a game of making people think that somehow a "like" or a "share" on Facebook equates with communication, caring, and support.  Sure, maybe I'm being a little harsh on this, but it sure feels this way at times.

Of course Facebook does its best to promote this practice, because the more each user comes back to their Facebook page, the more valuable they are to Facebook.  There is a reason why it is set up this way and the "like" button feeds into that process.

Hyperbolic Social Media

I see it all the time.  This really gets on my nerves.  Hyperbolic social media posts are a pet peeve of mine.  Whether it is in social media posts on Facebook or Twitter, or if it is an email newsletter or blog posting, it is all the same.

Recently I started out subscribing to a daily newsletter.  At first, the information seemed relevant and good.  As the days wore on, I began to notice a pattern.  Everything stated in the newsletter was over-the-top hyperbole.  This was from a well-respected leader in the new age world.

As time has continued, I noticed that some of the things this person wrote about are not 100% true.  Yes, they are using facts to make their statements, but the facts are so twisted you could make a hurricane out of a tornado.  Often by what they wrote, you could tell they truly didn't understand the facts they were presenting, but it did not stop them at all.

Are You Adding To The Discussion

How many days do we go through that we see the same old and tired worn out postings on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media?  It seems like the same stories, the same feel good pictures, the same articles to get worked up over, the same posts and forwards and shares all just continue time and time again.  If you didn't see it the first million times, don't worry!  There will be another million times to see it.

My question is to the masses.  Are you adding to the discussion in the day?  If not, why?

This goes for things that everyone deems as being good because they feel good.  If you oversaturate the day with all of these, they all become diluted.  If all you share in a day is feel good stuff, I think it becomes like the boy who constantly cries wolf.  Soon, no one hears it.  If they hear it, it becomes just noise in a day.

Hello, Anyone Home?

In this day and age of social media, we are losing our communication ability.   We barely communicate, except to post a nice little happy thing or a protest or something that 50 million have already shared.  I keep wondering, is anyone home?  Hello, anyone home?

I know, I know - we are all busy these days.  We've got a million things to do and so a quick tweet or Facebook post is all we've got.  What bugs me the most though is the impersonal nature of online social media.  It isn't like we are really sharing anything most of the time.  We are just sending mind numbing stuff to our friends list over and over.  It used to just happen in forwarded emails.

Yes, some of this is good, but after awhile, it becomes so over-saturated, that it loses all flavor.  It becomes just another post in the noise of life, really not adding as much as most people think.  When I get 60 to 80 phone calls a day and more email than I can read, I really see firsthand just how much noise there is on the internet.

Clean Your Own Windows First

I read something on a Facebook page recently of someone I don't know.  While I'm not going to reference the Facebook site that they shared, it was a religious one.  Actually this site looked to be a little more balanced than most, but the person sharing it had all kinds of JUDGMENTAL posts on this page.  It is funny to me that people will share things that are so good, but they don't even take to heart what it is that they share.

In the shared item, the story went something along the lines of a person who was critical of the neighbors.  In fact, it was about the neighbors laundry on the clothes line.  The person in this story constantly complained to her husband that the neighbor did not know how to do laundry.  For every time the neighbor did the laundry and hung it on the line, it appeared dirty.  It was not until one day she realized that the neighbor's laundry looked clean and exclaimed to her husband, that they must have figured out how to do laundry.  It was not until her husband told her that he got up early that day and cleaned their windows that she understood who it was that had the problem.

You see, it is easy for us to point out all the things wrong that other people do.  A funny thing happens when we do this though.  We usually are pointing out our own short comings and failure, only we can't even see beyond our disdain for others that we are doing this.  It isn't until we clean our own windows first that we begin to see more clearly in life.  If you think this is not rampant in our society, just read the daily news or look at a comment section on a news website.