Providing women educational & insightful resources to live an intentional lifestyle.
Why you should be your own biggest fan
Insight from Thriving Women.
Writing contribution by Marie Therese Batt
I’ll be the first to admit that I have my favorite YouTubers, and that I enjoy scrolling through my Instagram feed. But as much as I enjoy them, I know I need to be careful, too, and here’s why.
Instagrammers and vloggers generally create an enviable (and edited) lifestyle for us to watch with their carefully selected moments. It’s very easy for us to sit back, tune in, and enjoy someone else’s life. And why not? With so much to see, you inevitably become a loyal fan, and keep coming back for more.
The problem with being such a good fan is that we stop participating in our own life. We forget to dust our own shelves, and water our own gardens. Basically, we stop investing time and energy into our lives, which need lots of love and attention, too!
Another problem with being such a great audience member is that it becomes easy for us to compare, rather than create. And I bet when you’re comparing, you’re not being hard on everyone else. Ten to one, you’re being overly critical of yourself. Am I right?
Just think about it. How often do we feel intimidated by someone’s success, whether that be online or otherwise? How often do we compare someone else’s following with our own? Or their life, appearance, success or brand message? Way too often!
I came across a great quote (On Instagram, of course!) that said,
Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20.”
We forget that we’re looking at someone’s chapter 20, or that we’ve already written our first twenty chapters.
When we’re busy comparing, we’re also sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else score big, while we give ourselves one penalty card after another.
The next time you’re scrolling through your favorite feed, listen very carefully to the thoughts in your head—you’ll hear some negative and limiting criticism scrolling by, too.
So, what’s the solution? I don’t think we should go on strike against social media, because it’s a great way to connect, network and support your message.
But!—and this is a very big but!—it’s so important, perhaps now more than ever, to make a conscious decision to engage in your life, first and foremost. It’s not enough to simply watch others create and succeed, while you sit there, and repeat mantras like, “I am enough” to yourself.
You have to become the creator of your life and make it beautiful for you! Not just for getting more “likes” and followers—on any level—but for you!
This is one of the main themes in my book, The Heiress Project: Every Girl’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Worthiness and Creating a Life You Actually Love.
Our role as mindful creators of our own life is super empowering and fun way to live, and it’s a role we all share in common. That means that you can become the creator of your life, just as much as anybody else—just as much as those women you follow and admire. You can become the creator of your life, not just by blindly “doing”, but by believing that you are worth a beautiful life.
Worthiness doesn’t discriminate. But you do, and you’ve got to stop, love!
Good things don’t come to those who wait. Good things come to those who create, and I believe that every woman has the power within her heart and mind to create a good life. She just has to believe this to be true, and make it her own, personal truth.
Because if you believe this, you can release the limiting beliefs that are holding you back, and keeping you on the sidelines.
It’s a beautiful thing to support other women, but don’t forget to support yourself! And for as many “likes” that you dole out to everyone else, make sure you’re giving yourself that many thumbs up, too! You have to love what you do, and what you’re putting out there; you have to take time to acknowledge your achievements and successes, and you have to give yourself some very high-fives.
If you’d like to start creating a life you actually love, come check out my book, The Heiress Project: Every Girl’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Worthiness and Creating a Life You Actually Love and start a journey toward fulfillment and fun!
xo
Marie
WRITING CONTRIBUTION BY MARIE THERESE BATT: AUTHOR BIO
Marie Therese Batt’s is a writer and blogger at www.marietheresebatt.com. Her work focuses on empowering women to love who they are, and to change the way they view themselves. Her own struggles with anorexia nervosa and depression are the catalyst and inspiration for her writing, which has given many women the support and encouragement needed to change their thinking and their lives.
Marie is passionate about travel and learning, and some of her notable experiences have been graduate studies in literature, as well as living abroad in Germany. Marie currently lives in Italy, where she enjoys eating with the locals at little trattorias.
Check out her new book here!
The Heiress Project: Every Girl’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Worthiness and Creating a Life You Actually Love and start a journey toward fulfillment and fun!
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Hi, I'm Dannielle
I hope you enjoy these various online resources from my 4-year exploration and research, which include: The Practice of Living as we Intend podcast, downloadable worksheets, writings, and incredible interviews with women, about all things thriving!
Be moved to live as you intend!
Thank you! My mantra for the week is, “don’t wait because good things come to those who create.” What a wonderful article. Just what I needed to start this week off in a vibrant way!
Isn’t that awesome? Don’t wait, create! Thanks for your comment Leslie!
I enjoyed your blog post Marie. When shopping or even stopped at a red light, waiting for cars to take their turn at the light, I often think of the various individuals and wonder about their life. Thoughts pass through my spirit wondering if they are happy or sad. Every individual is unique and wonderfully made and has something different to offer the world. I too don’t like comparisons, as if we were all doing the same thing, life would be pretty robotic, yet I like to learn and get ideas from others. I may not always agree with the way their eyes perceive, yet have found we can glean and learn while growing to be who we were created to be. God first loved us, so we too should respect that love by loving ourselves and being all we can be with the talents we each own. Thank you for inspiring others.
Beautiful thoughts! Thank you for sharing!
My goal for this week will be “don’t wait – do it now and I won’t have to be worrying about it” and then I will be able to create what I want to do.
Happy each Monday when Be You and Thrive arrives.
Great goal and I need to do the same more often myself. Thanks so much for your comment!
I enjoyed this article. Great reminders for all women! With the prevalence of social media it is easy to get caught up in the comparison game. This leads to second guessing oneself and all sorts of other bad things. Thank you for your insight!
Oh yes, the second guessing game. I’m familiar with that! Thanks for your thoughts Kimi!
After losing my husband I had to relearn who I am, it wasn’t easy… my path may not always be the one that others would chose, but it’s the right one for me and I’ve found the courage to walk that path. I no longer put off what I want to do for what I should do. In order for me to share others joy and happiness I have to find joy and happiness in my own journey.
This is so beautiful, Tracie. What hits home for me is that you’ve recognized that everyone’s path is different and that you’ve found the right one for you. And then to have “..found the courage to walk that path” is such a wonderful place to be in life. I do my best to work daily to have the courage to walk my own path. It’s not always easy for me because I am a people pleaser! I take one day at a time. You have inspired me. Thank you so much for sharing! xo D
The phrase “life is short” really hit home when I lost my husband. I had to reinvent my life and in doing so I decided to put my happiness first and do the things I love. I found that I have to be in a good place and happy so that I can embrace the joy and happiness in others lives.