Don't hate, be inspired.

In life we sometimes experience things that make us so proud for different reasons that we celebrate with those who love us. When you love someone, their joy makes you happy. In this modern  day with technology and social networking and families being away from each other, sometimes the only way  to share these moments is via the social networks. The trouble there is, not everyone is your cousin or your real friend…some people are just acquaintances that may not really know who you are. It just so happens that we all have these people our lives. Let’s call them ‘frenemies’. When your frenemies see some of these ‘celebratory’ posts, they may feel you are showing off…in a bad way. Now, the only reason one would feel like that is if whatever you posted is something they wish they had.

Look at it this way: If you constantly posted pictures of a loaf of bread, you would irritate frenemies cos…duhh, ‘why should we see your bread, we all have bread in our houses’. However, if you constantly posted pictures of your newest completed degree, your lavish lifestyle, your amazing weight loss or even your amazing child who plays the flute at City Hall concerts, then you’re dubbed a show off. Although to your cousins and your aunts and your friend who's far, it’s you keeping in touch, keeping them in the loop. They’re happy to see those pictures!

One just can never win with the human race.  This is why in this day and age, an important lesson to learn is to ‘Do You’.

Post what makes you happy. It’s not your fault that the world has become so open and almost everyone has become privy to what’s going on in your life. I mean, were it not for social networks, you’ll realise that those people that don’t find your presence particularly exciting wouldn’t have to see you and neither would you them.

Envy is a human emotion and everyone goes thru it now and then. However, it shouldn't make one an ugly person. You can channel this envy into zest to achieve those things you are wishing for, then you won’t think it’s such a big deal when a friend posts pictures of the new mega tv room in her house…cos mos you’ll have your own...or you won't cos you don't want a tv room...not cos you can't. You can work on having a  baby and post pictures of his milestones…well, maybe not a good idea to have a baby cos you’re envious of someone else’s baby…but you get my drift.

Then those posts that you once thought were brags, will become like the constant bread posts. Remember when people checking in and out of local airports used to annoy you cos ‘they’re showing off that they’re gonna be flying’ or Sandton City checkins? Now it’s normal, like a bread post…cos everyone can fly in and out and do their groceries in Sandton City(grudgingly even).

Of course there are brags too. But what the hell, its their page. Hide them from your newsfeed if you must…then ask yourself why their posts annoy you so much. Is it envy? Do you want what they posted too? Then gurl, go get it!