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Remember when everyone used to read 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'? If you didn't, it's a book about this kid who goes on all sorts of adventures and he talks about his troubles at school and in life, his best friend Rowdy and so on. My description is an injustice to the book, but read it, it's fun.
In high school, my favourite book/journal to read was Spud. Oh, I remember those afternoons. I was absolutely addicted to the John Milton's high school story. Honestly, I wished that my high school story would be like his too.
That is what happens. We read the book and their lives are much more interesting than ours.
As cliché as it is, Instagram provides a similar, but more shallow experience. We look at other people's posts and wonder how they live such an interesting life.
It’s not what it seems. Ultimately, there are 3 points I would like to make regarding this issue.
1. It is a captured, documented moment.
If someone posts this picture at 9am with the caption,
"A magical cup of coffee to start the day"
Suddenly, I think that this person has the best life ever.
Dude, it's a cup of coffee. I'm sure you have a favourite drink too, right? If you posted a picture of a glass of water with a cool quote, it would have a similar effect. If someone posts a picture of a sunrise or a sunset, it is a captured moment, documented. We all have the power to go outside and watch the beauty of nature.
2. It's one perspective, not the entire picture, a small piece of the story.
Imagine if I post this picture on my Whatsapp status:
"# OFF. Studying is the key to the future."
Now you know that I'm studying. What you don't see is me sitting at my desk, struggling to concentrate, procrastinating, running behind schedule, missing deadlines.
It's a small piece of my studying experience, a small piece of my day, my life.
It is like posting a picture of having lunch with friends. We post it, but it doesn't mean we do that every day.
3. The small moments count.
If you think about it, that is what Spud's diary entries or captured pictures are. They are small, documented moments. All these moments add up, and at the end, you have one giant story.
I would like to make a suggestion:
Your life is interesting too.
Here is a way to see that:
Write your day down, and your thoughts. Write about the small moments, what happened. Write about what you struggle with and how you feel. Use good adjectives to describe your emotions and actions. Do this for a week or two to start off.
If you were then, to give that diary entry to someone else to read, they would be reading a page in a book. To them, your life would sound interesting, intriguing.
It is the beauty of documenting moment in words or capture it using photography.
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Your life is a good life. All you have to do is pause once in a while, and you'll see it. If you don't, change something, you have the power to do that.