I’ve been working on my new play for teenagers. Discussing with a group of 15-year-olds the other day, I asked if social media was a good way of making friends. ‘No, it’s a good way of making strangers’, one bright spark answered.
Teenagers are more in touch with the world than we think – and they don’t necessarily trust Social Media. They know that it’s in the real world that we can make friends and build futures for ourselves.
But we need a more rested and reflective way if we are going to live without virtual props. If we are not going to be dominated by other people and personas; we need to find space and time within. The battle to live in a more trusting world begins with oneself.
Circle of Trust
Creating a circle of trust means making better friends with ourselves. We so often feel discontented and disconnected with our core sense of self, which leads to our buying more and more to satisfy our unmet needs. And society’s values depend on us consuming more to fill our imaginary needs, even if we are to go into debt for it.
While we may secretly know that getting better connected with ourselves will lead to more health and more joy, it necessarily means letting go of what doesn’t serve. This can sometimes lead to misunderstandings with friends and family who are not expecting us (and perhaps also don’t want us) to change.
But if we don’t change we get into a cycle where we get more and more disconnected with joy and inspiration as we find we need to be accepted by the group – at all costs.
Finding health and joy
That was me a few years back. I wasn’t enjoying my life. I had the outside-in model of happiness. I felt that the world needed to prove something to me before I enjoyed my life. I felt it needed to offer me the perfect partner, the perfect job, the perfect future – I had the qualifications after all! But I was so easily swept up in other people’s opinions in an era of virtual pets and unhealthily late nights that I would sabotage my own chances of happiness just to be cool. I didn’t understand that change comes from having a healthy inner dialogue.
How do you talk to yourself? To receive invaluable FREE top tips and testimonials about how NLC can improve your inner dialogue so you can start to live more of your vision for your life, subscribe to my newsletter here. I can’t wait for you to join my mailing list.
And finally… I love this anonymous quotation:
‘It’s impossible,’ said Pride.
‘It’s risky,’ said Experience.
‘It’s pointless,’ said Reason.
‘Give it a try,’ whispered the Heart.
ANON
