Have you ever been in the mood to just purge all of the junk out of your life? I have had the gnawing feeling for a while now that it is time to get rid of things that have been holding me back or are tied to memories/dreams I no longer need to hold on to. A couple years ago I did what is known as a Strengths Finder test which is a form of a personality test, like the Myer’s Brigg. With Strengths Finder you take an extensive test to see what your top 5 strengths are and my #1 is something known as Input. The first thing stated in the Input section of the Strengths Finder book are, “You are inquisitive. You collect things.” These two statements couldn’t better describe me and because of this I hold onto things that needed to be gone long ago. After fighting it for sometime I have decided to bite the bullet and do it – I am going to rid myself of the excess.
There are a number of things that God out of His grace and love for me has removed on my behalf in the last little while. Friendships that once held a coveted spot in my heart that are no longer their or have been re-defined. Thought process that did more damage than good, have been pulled out and His thoughts are beginning to take root. I am so grateful that we have a God who chooses to interact with us and to care for the little and seemingly insignificant parts of our lives.
The first noticeable step I actually took in all of this was deleting my Facebook yesterday and to be honest it feels great! So many people sent me private messages asking me if I was okay since I was thinking about deleting it, their concern was sweet but made me chuckle. Our society has become so attached to social media that the thought of completely getting rid of it seems outlandish. Which probably fueled my desire to say adios for good to my Facebook account, I do so love to go against the grain. I do not think that there is anything wrong with Facebook or social media but when it feels like it is sucking more out of you than its giving there is no reason to continue in using it.
I think my biggest reason for deleting my Facebook was I was tired of the façade I and lets be honest most people put on when they use Facebook. We tell people we haven’t talked to in AGES “happy birthday” and that we “love and miss them” knowing we won’t ever have to do anything about it. What happened to spending time with those you love? I know that some of the people live far away which was the beauty of Facebook but there are too many other options for us to use and if the relationship truly matters you can find a way to communicate outside of the perimeters of Facebook.
I want to live a life of intentionality. One where people know I care about them not because I wrote on their wall but because we had coffee, I wrote them a letter or talked to them on the phone (or via Skype). I want to show my love and care in a way that is tangible and personable. I know that living a life in that fashion for me will only come after I make a conscious effort to rid my life of the clutter and become organized, so that is my goal this summer. De-clutter. Organize. Live with intention, loving people.
Here’s to a great start to a great summer!
De-clutter?! Makes my heart happy!! I am pretty sure purging is my love language 🙂 Love you and hope you have a wonderful summer
Haha…I don’t think I will be able to de-clutter to your standards but I am hoping to do a lot in regards to mine 🙂 Love you!
Lauren, I love that you shared this with us. You have really made me take a look at some things. I too have been de-cluttering, I will not give up Facebook, as it is my primary connection to my military son and his friends, but I really appreciate your point. If I am going to post on someones wall “Happy Birthday”, I need to also, call, send a card or if in town, “have coffee”. I agree it is too easy to connectively disconnect! Bless you and this journey you are on. I look forward to more! Have a great summer!
I completely understand not getting rid of Facebook when it is your primary point of contact and support with James in the Military, I never in a million years gotten rid of it while I was traveling and away from my mom. I like that “to connectively disconnect” is the slippery slope of Facebook that has TONS of wonderful options and opportunities for people. Praying for you and James. Enjoy your much milder summer in Colorado!