ArtPrize 2017- downtown Grand Rapids
Man. 2017. I think this year will go down in meme history. Comedians were actually over saturating their stand-up routines with Trump jokes. It’s sad that this farce of a presidency is such a joke that comedians can rely on a fresh supply of nonsense daily to fuel their routines. But, I digress… this post isn’t about that! This post is looking ahead!
Personally, 2017 brought SO MANY amazing things to my life. In May, We took Caleb to Disney with Make-A-Wish for the trip of a lifetime. I’m already hoping and praying we can go back someday! I transitioned from an adult ortho/progressive nurse to becoming a nurse in our local Children’s Hospital and I am much happier working with the littles. There are some nights where I sit holding a sick baby and think “I am getting paid right now to snuggle a babe. IS THIS LIFE?” I love it! In July, I married the love of my life! Still haven’t gotten around to blogging our wedding, but that seems to be how my blog career goes…procrastination is the name of the game. And finally, we found out we will be expecting a baby girl in April of 2018!
2017 was good to us.
As I look forward to what 2018 will bring, there is something that has been on my heart to write about regarding this blogging thing and life in general. 2017 was eye-opening to me in terms of social media. The past year was a lesson in NOT comparing myself….”their stories are NOT your story. Tell your own story.” Even with this reaffirming message, I find it very hard to resist falling into the comparison trap.
Towards the end of the year, I “discovered” podcasts. (*gasps* WHAT IN THEEEEE HELL HAVE I BEEN MISSING OUT ON?) There seems to be a reoccurring message among blog-focused podcasts- tell your own story. Share your own POV. Focus on your message. This year, I am making it a point to take these messages to heart, and apply the lessons to different aspects of my life. Because I know for an irrefutable fact, that people’s lives are not just what they post on social media. People wrestle with demons. People have major insecurities. Hell, people put on whole other personas on their social media accounts even though people know them in real life.
Just remember if you are modeling yourself after peoples’s social media accounts, you are modeling their
—-> HIGHTLIGHT REEL<—-
Now don’t get me wrong, there are some people I follow who I love to follow because I feel they are sharing a lot of their true selves and not just posing as these entities on Instagram. I love when I see vulnerability and real-ness. I do not follow these accounts from a place of comparison, but from a place of aspiration.
I aspire to share my story. I aspire to engage in meaningful conversation even if just in the comments section of IG. I aspire to reach the goals I have set for myself. I really feel that this post can be succinctly summed up in this sweet little quote….
“Comparison is the thief of Joy”
-Nique
Thanks for reading loves 💕
Sharing on my blog resource page, some of my favorite podcasts. Share any of your faves with me! I’d love to check them out!
