It Doesn’t Have to be Now {Be Present}

I had dinner and drinks with a great friend the other night, and he said something to me that rang true.  Something that he does with his Instagram, that I’ve always admired, is he posts when he feels like it.  What I mean is – he’s not always giving the world the play-by-play.  I won’t know if he’s in Seattle or some Caribbean island or actually home hanging out with friends.  You don’t get some over-curated feed with it, either – they’re real, honest photos – just not in the middle of those moments happening. You have to be present.

It’s also a safety thing – the world doesn’t need to know that you aren’t home, exactly where you are, exactly where your kids are at this very moment.  It’s more than just play-by-playing the world.

We live in this world where we feel like we need to tell everyone what we’re doing at all times – like everyone cares. We want everyone to think that we’re always busy, that our lives are perfect, that we’re full of friends, family, and all the happenings with our business.  I’m the biggest culprit of this – I text my friends a play-by-play of what’s happening on a regular basis.  As much as they love me, they don’t need to hear it – especially when it’s on repeat on my Facebook & Instagram.

They also kind of don’t want to hear it and I’m pretty sure it gets annoying, but it goes back to that adage that we need everything now – including knowing where our family and friends are at all times.  “Oh no, someone didn’t answer my text right away!  They must be mad!” It’s more likely that they aren’t attached to their phone and are just spending time with other friends and family.  Maybe they’re relaxing or doing anything that isn’t attached to technology.  There was a world before phones, you know.  There was a world before all of this where we spent time with people and didn’t “spend time” chatting to others at the same time – whether it be via social media, text, or whatever other medium technology offers these days.

Be present

It’s important to remember to be present while you’re doing whatever it is that you’re doing, though. I say this as the most guilty person of this in the world. I’m always half-there. It’s not something that I’m proud of; however, it’s something that I’m working on. You might find these words odd coming from a social media manager.  Don’t get me wrong – your clients should think that you’re busy, even when you aren’t.

You should find ways to draw out your content. You need to be posting on a regular basis, and showcasing your work to the best of your ability.  This post is more personal than professional, though, and I hope that you understand that. Live in the moment. It’s one of my new years resolutions.  It’s why Misty Saves the Day even exists – so that other people can do that.  I need to start taking my own advice – I hope that you do, too.