Eating Crow, A Shift in Perspective and a Request
OK, I admit - I was wrong.
People often asked me why I wasn’t on social media. Friends and family encouraged me to post pictures of my various escapades as I roamed the globe, or of the newest exploration to hold my interest - (dowsing for energy lines in England anyone?).
Learning to dowse for energy lines at the magical Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire, England
The full confession is because I was a social media snob.
Yes - I was one of those people who viewed avid social media users as devotees who didn’t have anything “real” going on in their life; head down, shoulders hunched over their phones looking at other people’s lives, instead of getting out and LIVING! Or, worse, as a platform to brag.
I said, (sigh, somewhat smugly) that I was going to use that time to do “interesting things”….Read erudite illuminating books! Have scintillating conversations! Play my fiddle! Paint! Make a Quilt! Write! Learn to use tuning forks! Travel! Be in Nature! Be more present with Life than my computer!
No, I was not going to bend to the cultural pressure of social media.
I would tend my garden instead.
Somehow, I missed the Connection piece. As tho, one cannot do creative and interesting things, and be connected to the world with this new-fangled social media thing.
It wasn’t until I was recently interviewed on a podcast for my new book, Be the Magic, that the lightbulb went off.
In the pre-show conversation, the host asked where listeners could find me on social media. I somewhat awkwardly explained that I “didn’t do” social media and suggested my website. After a weird pause, she said, “It’s a whole lot of fun to share and connect with people. People are going to want to find you and your book and social media is how it’s done”. I knew this in my bones but still didn’t like it.
Elizabeth Renstrom 2013
Was I going to have to eat crow?
(This phrase coined from a Saturday Evening Post story in the 1800s meaning: “when one is proven wrong after taking a strong position, it can be emotionally hard to swallow”. )
Wait! Didn’t I write about this in Be the Magic?! How to expand our perspectives and open our minds to new ways of thinking? How to try new things with curiosity and see what delight they might hold? How not to get trapped in narrow thinking since this obscures the magic?
Sigh…Did I actually have to put my own advice into action?
I also write about asking the Universe for help when we need it. So, still somewhat dubious about going down this path, I asked….”Bring me someone great who can help me with this freaking social media thing, would you?”. Two hours later, I received a “random” phone call from an acquaintance saying she knew of a fabulous person who could help with social media and virtual assistant work, if I happened to need that. Hm.
Help from the Universe arrives!
Fast forward and I’ve changed my tune. The marvelous Erin Gravelle of Thistle Brook has entered my life and I’ll never be the same. With the patience of a saint, she’s setting me up on social media and I suddenly get it.
It IS such a fun way to connect with interesting people, art, creativity, ideas and it IS the perfect vehicle to spread a little love, light and stardust in this world. I don’t have to choose between creating things, and, being on social media. You probably know all of this.
I Love being wrong!
Hmm. Where else in my life am I taking a strong position that could use a re-visit?
How about you….any old ideas out there that might benefit from a new perspective?
In other news, Be the Magic is chugging along, and I am so honored that she’s received three awards…
Silver Medal from the well-respected Independent Publisher Awards,
Finalist in the “Philosophy of Life” category from the competitive Indie Excellence Awards
Finalist in the ”Self-Help” category from the International Book Awards
An easy, uplifting summer read or great for gift-giving - I’m always thankful for your support
I’ve also been getting way out of my comfort zone speaking on podcasts about Be the Magic and her message. Tune in to some uplifting conversations! Here are two of the most recent ones…
All About Healing Podcast with Emily A. Francis and
The Contagious Confidence Podcast with Katie Hawkes.
I’ll be announcing some fun book workshops, forest therapy walks and dance events soon, but in the meantime, I’m wishing you the best summer ever.
Thanks for reading & may you see the magic around every corner!
