Social Media and all those Darn Quotes!

You know those funny little sayings everyone loves on Facebook and Twitter?  You know, the ones everyone Tweets and re-tweets?  Boy, I can go crazy with those quotes!! Or better those Inspiration accounts on Twitter? I follow a couple.  Or the people on Facebook that try to come up with their own witty sayings? Typically, those sayings are a passive aggressive message, right? Don’t you think the quotes seem to be used as a means to express a frustration of some sort?  The funny part or the hard part I should say,is even though we like the quote or we believe in the quote, it is the following through of the quote that is the difficult part.  Sometimes those wonderful quotes aren’t really practical, right? They sound so awesome and inspirational but then when you think about it,well…… anyway some are great, some I love but then some are well, just a little bit out there LOL!

Recently someone told me this popped up on their Facebook page from an old classmate, “Live everyday like it is your last because tomorrow is not promised.”  The person who read it said, “Really? And, who writes those kind of things.”  I knew this person wasn’t on Social Media often and explained this love of quotes and especially inspirational quotes and so on.  The person went on to say, “Well, that quote is a wonderful thought but is it practical?”  It made me think?  If you really think about the quote could we all live everyday like it is our last?  I think we get the ultimate sentiment.  Focus on the important stuff and try to let go of things that don’t matter in the grand scheme of things but in the end we have things that need to get done.  Many of us need to work and I am sure if we lived everyday as if it was our last, well, work would not be on the agenda and I don’t care how much you tell me YOU LOVE YOUR JOB/CAREER and your job/career gives you great satisfaction, well in the end if it was your last day I sincerely hope you would NOT want to spend it  AT YOUR JOB anymore than I would want to  spend it cleaning BUT we have to take care of our daily lives!

I think we are suppose to live each day trying to be kinder and taking time to enjoy a moment around us.  We are going to encounter problems,disagreements and sadness.  Taking a moment to smile,saying a loving word and attempting to find solutions are all great ways to spend your day.  If it is your last day then you know you had some positive moments but realistically we can’t live everyday like it is our last because I think we would choose to spend it playing and having fun AND unfortunately we just can’t do that every single day as much as we would like,now can we?

Oh, and all those quotes about living your dream, not placing all your values on money and blah,blah,blah! It is funny that we love them but again not sure how much we take them to heart or understand anyone that does.  Someone living a simple life and loving it baffles Americans.  C’mon, be honest, if someone insinuates they are happy at their level you think they lack ambition, or maybe they are lazy? Yet, maybe they like working a low stress job and they enjoy a smaller home or they want to rent because they don’t want to deal with the work of a home. AND WE FEEL THEY NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS?  WHY? Anyway, I think we sometimes pass along the quotes with the best of intentions but then we don’t really live it or let them sink in,including me!

Although with age I am getting a little better!!

I am blessed that I have hit a point in time where I do get to live life more like everyday is my last day but make no mistake I am still cleaning the toilets and I would hate that to be my last act LOL!

 

The busyness of raising my kids has ended! Do I miss it?  Some days.  You know running in every direction and having to be at every event.  I was lucky I never missed one game, one play,one choir event, I missed NOTHING!  I did not do a career track, instead I just worked jobs as some people would say but those jobs gave us extra funds and they fit around my kids schedule but by golly I was running in many directions and rushing to get somewhere and get a kid to an event.  Oh, and I can’t tell you how many times I sat in the car reading a magazine waiting for a practice to end because the coach or theater director decided to go longer!  I have done all the birthday parties and family events!! In other words I have paid my dues BUT deep down I loved it,every second, even when I was pulling my hair out!!  I have been asked do I regret giving up my career?  What a silly question?  I loved my life while raising my children and I often wonder if the person would  like me to ask them if they regret choosing the career path over……?  It is like they want to say, “see, I am prepared for when my kids leave the nest.” Nope, you will miss them even if you have your career because they are just as much apart of your life as they were mine, right?  You will have adjustments too.  No doubt you will still love your life but what is funny is people don’t get that I love my life too.  We planned for this moment too! Just like you have planned for it by doing the career track!

Once again those quotes that get passed along, You know, “Do it your way” “Take a chance” “Live YOUR DREAM”.  That is what we are doing.  I am blessed my parents get it.  My 80 something parents get it more than people of a younger generation. I have parents that support my dream.  They don’t interfere in my life or put my dreams down or HOLD ME BACK.  They let me try and if it works, great and if things don’t turn out the way we hope, well, they offer love but they let US figure it out.  My parents never dish out guilt or give unsolicited advice.  If I ask them then they talk it out with me but never would they think of stopping me from trying to go after my dream.  I guess that is why I give my children the same support.  I would never stop them from living their dream!

In the end I never defined myself by a career or by being ‘just a mom’.  So, the next time you are passing along the quotes about “Live your dream” or whatever, really look at the quote and think about what you are trying to say and why? And, are you assuming your dream is everyone’s dream?  I know so many people who could never ever in a million years live my dream but I couldn’t live their dream either AND that my friends is OK!!

 

So, do you get carried away with all those Inspirational and Motivating quotes on Facebook and Twitter? Is there a quote that really speaks to you and helps keep you focused or grounded?  Have you ever used a quote to try to make a point to a specific person (and you know deep down you are being passive aggressive)?

 

Tagged as: Facebook, Inspiration, Inspirational, Inspirational Quotes, Lving Your Dream, NaBloPoMo, Social Media, Twitter