This week I made the difficult decision to step away from Facebook. Thoughts of getting off FB have been simmering for quite some time. I have done a day here and there where I deliberately stayed off for the entire day. I have weighed the pros and cons and made lists of the positive and negative interactions a few minutes of scrolling provided. I use Messenger regularly and don’t want to loose that option so chose to deactivate my account instead of deleting it . My plan is to stay off for the month of April and then re-evaluate. To be honest the hardest part is not having the distraction of scrolling a hundred times a day. I have this false belief that I am missing something if I don’t check in. I know that is not true. I know that before FB I did just fine and stayed in touch with the people and events that mattered. I know I will be fine if I never engage in FB again. I also know that after just one day I can fill that scrolling time with more meaningful activity. Even If I feel the need to be on my phone or on the internet I can make more enriching choices. I can message friends and family and show caring and concern for whatever they are facing. I can watch Harry Chapin sing or be interviewed and remember a man who cared about this world instead of filling my time with clips about a man who cares about nothing but himself. I can listen to podcasts that fuel my soul instead of engaging in all that strips my peace of mind and my belief in the good in each of us. A Michael Franti song entitled Break up With Everything has become my theme song and I am attempting to do just that. I am breaking up with everything I don’t need, everything that doesn’t give me the hope and strength I need during this most frightening, unhopeful time we find ourselves in. Now without FB there may be no one reading this blog entry but that’s ok too. The number of likes , comments or people engaged has little to do with the task of getting through my days and living my best life. Those choices are mine to make !
I Have the Choice
