The Filtered Life

In the age of photography studios at our fingertips, life becomes a façade. What we see isn’t always reality. Life is photoshopped. We see everyone and everything through a filtered screen. All of life’s little blemishes are smoothed out. Exposure is added to things that need not be exposed! Contrast runs rampant when we compare our lives to everyone else and feel we don’t measure up. After all, we aren’t traveling the world as a photographer and getting thousands of followers on Instagram. Bloggers are overexposed, spouting off their opinions as facts. Algorithms highlight what the powers that be deem important and shadow what they wish to suppress. So many filters are put on life that it is hard to remember what the original actually looks like.

Let’s take a minute and try to locate the original. A snapshot of the true you, untouched by the filtered glass of social media. What do you think about yourself? Is your worth measured on how many followers you have? How many likes you get? How many people agree with your politically? Do you get buried under the avalanche of tweets, snaps, Tik Toks, Blogs, Vlogs and all the noise? Have you been too busy scrolling and reacting instead of living? What have you discovered about life lately outside of the computer screen?

There was a movie several years ago that fashioned the infamous line, “You complete me.” All women swooned at the line delivered by the handsome Tom Cruise. I didn’t. The line repulsed me. If anyone walked up to me and said, “You complete me.” I would run as fast as I could in the other direction. Why? Because I do not need someone to complete me, neither do I want to complete someone. If I must complete you, it means you are only half a person and if you need to complete me, then I am not a whole. I’ve got an idea. Why not be an entire person so when you meet that special someone it’s two whole people walking side by side in life.

So how do you become a whole person? Start by pulling away from the siren’s entangling call of social media. Once you do, your senses will grow sharper and you will notice new things about life, the real world surrounding you.. Life will seem much more natural, simple and easy. We spend so much time self-deprecating and criticizing ourselves with the filtered pictures of others and dare say such horrible things about ourselves such as, I hate my nose. I hate my chin. I hate my legs. I hate my hair. I hate my eyes. I wish my lips were puffier. I wish my hair were thicker. I wish my hair were straight, I wish my hair were curly. I wish I had longer eyelashes. I wish my eyes were green.

We also compare our life with the filtered statuses we read and spend our energies wishing things were different. I wish I was somewhere having fun. I wish I had a husband like that. I wish I had more friends. I wish I was in the cool group. I wish I were talented. I wish I had been invited to that. I wish I were successful. I wish I were more popular. I wish my story got more views. I wish I had a million followers, and on and on it goes. We criticize our lot in life and do not allow ourselves to measure up.

First of all, realize that everyone out there is living their life behind a filter that makes them look better. Things are not always as they appear. People pay for followers and likes. I remember going on a hike once. The friends I was hiking with were miserable. It was a hot day. Everyone was tired and thirsty, and no one was talking. When we reached the top of the mountain everyone pulled out their phone and started snapping selfies and groupies. The pictures told a story of an amazing hike full of adventure and camaraderie that never happened.

Before you hate on your life or self-deprecate about those short chubby legs of yours, be thankful they have taken you everywhere you want to go. Your legs take you to the coffee shop. They help you ride a bike and climb up stairs and ladders and mountains and hike beautiful trails. They propel you across the swimming pool. They enable you to dance a jig at your best friend’s wedding. They take you on adventures, walk you right up beside that hottie and run like heck to get you out of a difficult situation. At the end of the day, you and your faithful legs crawl into bed and relax. Realize those two legs are your buddies. They are incredible. Thank them for doing life with you. Thank your eyes for showing you the world. Thank your ears for allowing you to listen to your favorite music and hear the voices of those you love. Thank your lips for providing the tunnel for your favorite beverages to enter your mouth. Fall in love with every part you. See yourself as adorable and loveable and fun to hang out with and you will always have a best friend. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you need a shoulder to cry on and someone to lean on. It’s good to have friends and family that can be there for you but learn to rely on yourself. You do not need to be completed by a job, a career, a boyfriend, a spouse, a child, a best friend. Those things are wonderful and should be celebrated but they should never complete you.

Discover that you are good company and can encourage yourself when needing a pick me up. You are more powerful than you know. The soul of the world exists inside you. You are a complete and whole person. You are an original. There is nothing more freeing than stripping of the filters and being you!