Michelle Andres Writes ~ Hopelessly deep thinker, frighteningly keen observer, discerning feeler and Jesus-loving, imperfect human storyteller … at your service.

I may have been a fool in March, but refuse to be an April Fool. No joke. The tail is wagging the dog in Michelle Land, and of course, the tail is my computer addiction and social media. Bear with me. I think I can pull this thing together before the end.

Monday a bottle of water took a spill on my laptop. I had to (almost) go cold turkey without my “device fix,” forcing me to sing the praises of iPads and phones. You know my struggles, and I had to wonder, was it irony, justice or both?

Then, blog reader, Amy brought to my attention the time requirements of social media and how it might contribute to my “addiction.” True that…but we can’t live sans electronic devices, especially if we’re using them for business. I began to consider I could be working smarter. Maybe, I could take a page out of my consulting playbook and implement the Pareto Principle and some time management techniques on my own bad self. Seems doable.

Finally, yesterday I had a conversation with a dear chum about friends. Seems most of us have our close friends, our garden variety friends, acquaintances and strangers. Our inner circle of friends know us the best and support us the most (click to Tweet). They are to be valued above all else.

Then, I realized….

When it comes to social media, especially Facebook, many of us have lots of “friends.” Being that they’re friends, I’ve made a habit of getting to know almost all of them…like you would with good friends. I’ve met several people who live in cities different from my own, in person, and it’s been a blessing because they’re delightful. But, lately I’m beginning to feel the weight of focusing energy too many different ways. On Facebook we’re bombarded with family deaths, friends facing health challenges, families losing beloved pets and feeling people’s frustration with political affairs. Honestly, this isn’t a good thing for me. I doubt it’s a good thing for most of us. I don’t think the human soul was designed to carry such a heavy weight. In the olden days, before social media, we probably brunt what our souls could bear; but as our world gets smaller, and our circles get bigger, the burden is exponentially heavier. Some days it hurts too much. I can be a lot of things to a lot of people, but not everything to everyone. (Click to Tweet)

In my circular rationalization, I can’t help but see these things as related and see a bonafide benefit to ratcheting back. So here’s my solution. I apologize in advance, because to be honest, it’s all about me. I have to set some boundaries, let go of what I can’t control and give where it’s well received. BUT, maybe my plan can help you, too.

1. I’m conserving time on the computer by not managing so many aspects of social media. I’m happy to give, but will give mostly to my inner circle – people in my “Tribe.” I’m sure, those in my Tribe have the goodwill to share and recommend things I offer to their close friends who might like them, too. After what I give to my family, art and writing, most of my energy will be focused there.

2. My circle of close friends will receive MORE. You become one by being a member of the Tribe. Why shouldn’t you? In “real life” we don’t go around trying to get lunch dates with a large group of acquaintances. If we ever got that date, we might be eating in silence. We focus on spending quality time with our close friends and meet others through them. It makes for quality Tribes, me thinks.

3. I’ll be spending less time on my personal social media pages to better manage my own energy and take care of my tender heart. So, to keep in touch, like my Facebook professional pages for writing and art, and follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. The links to everything are included right here. I post several times per week, not daily. Remember, the world is getting big, so click “Get Notifications” to keep in touch on any platform.

Energy is important. I have an art show coming up in June and I’m working with a new medium and doing good-sized pieces, so I need to focus on that work. I’ve also begun selling art online. The idea is, if I can back things down and give most to those who see the feel value, I can breathe a little easier and have time to finish my projects. The computer will be less of a player in the equation.

What do you think of this plan? I’m sort of feeling my way through the dark, but several of you have expressed the same challenges. Let’s tighten up our circles and give more to those who appreciate us.

So, if you like this blog, please subscribe by joining the tribe in the left sidebar. If you want to peruse my art, check out the site and join the list at the bottom of the page (online art sources are also there). If you’ve read this far, we must be friends. I’ll be giving a sweet, small piece of original art to someone on my art subscriber list April 30^th – so be sure to sign up  for the email list before then. If you want to leave a comment, by all means, do so below, and when you see sumpthin’ you like, please share.

I’m No Fool!

Michelle Andres is a writer and artist who cultivates her own Well Lived Life by drinking in the beauty around her, following her passion, respecting others and doing her best to own her own dookie.
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