Social Media has a lot to give to our lives, but it can also take much away. I am certainly conscious of the many hours I spend, mindlessly scrolling my days away on Facebook and Twitter. I comment, reply, ‘like, and share, and not much gets done, or changed or saved.
There are other ways of course, to be. I feel that a website and blog such as this one leads me to producing more considered words, requiring much more thought on my part. Thinking about truths as I see them, can bring further discussion, and the give and take of that process is, or at least can be a valuable thing, for those involved in the discussion.
I have a number of website/blogs, quite a few, actually, on different topics. My first one has been around for many years, and only has new information put on it for a particular yearly event, to help promote a poetry competition I am involved with. This is linked to the writing group I began back in 2005, and it is very dear to my heart, giving the chance for other poets in Australia to write poems that may win them good money, if they are good enough, in the way they address the particular theme/topic for the year.
I am the President and Competition Secretary of this group, and I feel what I am doing for others is a chance I have received myself in the past. Giving my time to my broader community in this way feels like a good thing to do, and given that it makes me happy as well, it’s difficult to see any reason why I should not do this. The time I spend every year, when the poetry entries begin arriving, is time I may otherwise waste by scrolling through Social Media, as I mentioned earlier. Writing up poetry entries is a far better way to spend my time.
The money that poets pay to enter this competition goes straight to costs in running the competition, and to the award winners, and I try to have judges who will appreciate performing this role. Judging the poetry of others is a great way to gain a better understanding on what makes a good poem, a winning poem.
The thing about Social Media though, that can be a good and Stoic thing to do, is the sharing of words with others. Good and inspiring words can help a person to find reasons for making good decisions. I have shared a few of these over the years, and I love it when others feel my words are useful ones. Here are a couple of my recent ones:
Be rich in your heart, and other riches become far less important.
Living your life well relates not to things, but to feelings and thoughts.
Do you feel these are useful words for the Stoic to bear in mind? As I have indicated elsewhere on this blog, I am in my early stages of my Stoic life, and I welcome any feedback from others which may assist me as I travel my path in Stoicism.
I didn’t put my name to those words on Facebook, when I posted them, although they were on my own Facebook page. I felt the sharing of the words there was a good thing, but claiming them outright as my own felt too prideful. Is that going to far, or is it the best way to go? The Stoics back 2000 years ago were often writing their words in private, but they spoke about these things with others. It’s an interesting conundrum, be ‘out there’ or be enclosed. Be humble is the Stoic way, I write these things for the getting of understanding for both myself and for interested others.
Again, any thoughts on this are most welcome. Thank you.
My Stoic Life 