Why I love Facebook

After you've travelled the world for more than 10 years like me there will always be someone you are missing. Even if you haven't travelled, your friends/family may have moved or gone overseas. Thanks to Facebook we don't have to wait to get the Christmas letter to see what everyone's been up to for an entire year. I know loads of people think it's a time waster and I admit to occasionally being less conscious about my time spent on it than I probably should be, but I also feel like it is time well spent and it has a positive influence on my life more often than not.

I've subscribed to so many wonderful positive pages and I absolutely love to share the stuff I've found. The feedback and comments and seeing others sharing my posts is really heartwarming. Sure I've had a few people dislike some of the stuff I post (I'm pro gay marriage and that tweaks some conservatives). My dad was a minister so I have a lot of religious friends that are great friends even though I no longer go to church. I study the Tao, meditate and am more spiritually inclined than religious. Despite that potentially being a contentious point I have to say how grateful I am that basically none of those friends ever judged me (openly anyway), rejected me or treated me differently! One person could no longer take it and unfriended me (or de-faced me as Jennifer says LOL) and I have no hard feelings. They weren't that close to me anyway and I believe if you don't like the channel then change it, so I wish them nothing but happiness and that one day they may see a more unconditional love :)

Anyway I digress. As I was saying I find it such a wonderfully positive playground and I've been very conscious about setting it up that way. It is so great to see what people that I care about are up to on the other side of the world in real time. I find it hugely connecting and you are more able to keep up with more people as they post their little adventures. When I am the poster and sharing my latest adventure I get to see what I am doing AS an adventure. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone truly felt that their life WAS an adventure?

I've also made a point of being honest and I'm sharing when I am struggling as well as when I am feeling inspired. Everyone wants to put their best side forward in life, but I'd like to be real too. I will admit that my facebook profile photo is not that recent anymore, but there are recent photos of me on my profile. I don't like them as much, but I haven't untagged myself (I was definitely tempted). I think the reason I love taking photos of others is that practically nobody gets a decent photo of me!

I've had to build up courage to post stuff not all my friends may like/approve of/agree with in baby steps. Of course it is so much easier on the internet rather than standing at the front of a hall full of people directly in front of me. Yes there ARE those out there who whinge and wallow, but that is life (...and who hasn't been there?) and generally it passes for them. I love how supportive your friends can be when you admit to having a harder time than usual and that I can be there for those who share with me that they need a shoulder - albeit an electronic one! This whole stiff upper lip idea is transforming into a more open, real and honest society where it is far more important to try and fail than never try at all.

I've made new friends and met new people online who share similar interests and theories and my world has expanded. I've seen places I may not have found by myself and my bucket list is expanding. Plus you get to subscribe to and follow all the phenomenally inspirational people like Dr Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Drunvalo Melchizedek and Dr Jeff Mullan. And who knew George Takei was so freaking funny!!!????

So I have found a way that Facebook really works for me! Sure I can get lost and it can be a time waster, so can traffic (real not internet heh heh heh) and going to the shops!!! Anything in life is a tool and can work FOR you not against you, you just have to find a way that works for you. It is totally possible  - if you'd like to :) It takes all kinds to make a world and "to each their own" so those who do not find it works for them that's also really cool!!! :D

...as for Twitter I simply have not yet found a way to make it work for me! Facebook automatically sends my posts to Twitter and that's nice.