I have had some interesting conversations recently with both students and friends about social media. Rather than being seen as a means for more communication and connection with friends & family, it has actually heightened insecurities about who we are. People look at someone on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. and they only see a snapshot of that person's life. They presume that their life is perfect and do not see any struggle a person may be enduring because it's a highlight reel. And why wouldn't it appear that way? At the end of the day, we all want to focus on our blessings, the high points of our day, and who doesn't want to be hopeful?

The real issue comes down to self-confidence and self-worth. If we cannot find joy in someone else's excitement, success, and happiness... or we are trying to compare ourselves to them, then we need to look within and strengthen our spirit and start by appreciating what value we bring to others. Because we all truly do. There is no one made quite like you. And it is also about perspective. I can tell you that I made a decision in January 2014 after my father's death to see the world for what it still had to offer, rather than what it lacked. And trust me, the sunrise didn't have the same brightness or sense of hope that first year. I didn't laugh...like really laugh for about a year either. But it didn't mean that I was still not looking for the best in each day. I owed that to myself because there was too much living left to do. And I also found strength and hope in celebrating in my friends' lives, their excitement of having a first child, getting married, and family milestones.

My life may have seemed to stop for a moment in time or taken a drastic turn from what I envisioned over the last year...but I have faith that there is a lot more for me out there. But again...that is a conscious decision. And someone else's path is NOT my journey. So I am not going to compare, rather I am going to create my own highlight reel...one that is MINE and that I look back and treasure.

Xo,

Natalie Rene