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Have you ever logged on to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to see someone’s perfect picture and wished that was you? Have you found yourself envying the life they seemingly have? If there is one negative thing to come out of social media (there are several), it is the tendency to showcase the glamorous part of everyone, subconsciously causing a sort of inferiority complex in a lot of people. Your old school mates are getting married in large ceremonies, your colleague just had a baby, or your friend from university just got a fabulous job. You may be doing great in your own life too, but sometimes, if you are not exactly where someone else is in their journey, or they seem to have something that you want, you may begin to feel bad about yourself. The truth of the matter is no one has a perfect life. The part of people that social media shows you is what is usually called “The Best Foot”, which simply means that people put their best foot forward and present only that which is positive about them. So what this means is that while your friends may be buying cars and getting married, there will be certain areas of life where yours is much better. If you ever find yourself feeling inadequate, or upset over other people’s successes, just remember this:   The Grass Isn’t Always Greener On The Other Side Just because someone moved from your part of town to a high brow area doesn’t mean that their income has increased, or that they are richer than you. It could be that they a got a good deal on the rent, borrowed money to finance it, or saved for it over a period. If they borrowed money to rent an expensive apartment, why would you want to be like them? What this means is that what you see of others, isn’t necessarily as glamorous as you think it is, and to base your happiness on this, is pointless.   Count Your Blessings This is always encouraged, but sometimes people are so immersed in their unhappiness that they can’t even bring themselves to be grateful for what they have. It then becomes a sort of cliché. Truth is, if you gave yourself an exercise, and decided to count all that you have that other people wish for, you would realise that your situation isn’t as ugly as you thought it to be. Seeing people around you, on social media, with seemingly more interesting lives, is not a reason to feel bad about yourself. If you look well, you will discover those parts of you that are unique and worthy of admiration.   About the Author: Amina Salau is a writer and editor running The Illuminated Pen. You can find her online at www.theilluminatedpen.com and on Twitter (@_Aminah)
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This article was first published on 15th December 2014

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