I was going to write this post yesterday, but as we all know life gets a little crazy sometimes and we can't get everything we want done in a day. Seriously the last two weekends have been super busy and I haven't even had a chance to blog about them yet. We celebrated D's 30th birthday on the 14th along with a close friends wedding and this past weekend we were thrown a surprise birthday by our parents and many many family members came out to celebrate with us! It was so great! I just need to get the photo's so I can share about it with you!
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| A little teaser! |
Anyways, back to today's post and it's another Coffee and Conversations post. The question at hand is: "How important is social approval to you?"
Lets get straight to the bare bones here. I think social approval is important to everyone. We are social creatures by nature and like to live in packs. We have family dynamics that range based on our locations, but the thing that remains the same is always being near to our loved ones and core group. With me, as I age I look at social approval very differently then I did when I was a kid or teenager. In high school I was awkwardly shy, and continue to be that way. This made me not have a lot of friends, but the core group that I had were very close and dear to me. I still am friends with some of those people today. Once out of high school I determined that it was very important to be socially accepted. With the invention of social media outlets it became a game to see how many "friends" you could acquire. These people aren't really your friends, just a way to increase your social reach. I have since this time done several 'cleaning' bursts on all social media to clear out these people because it's just not necessary to have that in my life.
Social acceptance also lies in the media. Being that you have to dress a certain way, or look a certain way, or weigh a certain amount to be accepted. Being that I live in the Los Angeles Metro area, I see this a lot. We compare ourselves constantly with others and the keeping up with the Jones' mentality is turning us into a materialistic, self-centered society. I hate it! Why can't we be who we are meant to be. I can't say that I am not guilty of being envious of others, how they dress or carry themselves. But I have learned to accept who I am, and those things that I find as shortcomings are usually only in my head. Other's don't see them. Frankly if other's wanted to point out my shortcomings and gossip about me, that is fine. I am who I am and I am not going to change for a social aspect.
In my life now, I am doing just that. Learning to accept who I am as a whole person. Loving my body (self-conscious), loving my personality, and just hoping that those people who are in my life can accept the fact that's who I am. Do I still need social approval? I guess in a way. I do write this blog and love when I see a new follower or comment. But I don't write this space for acceptance. I write it for me. I need approval from a select few in my life and those that I have chosen do. I accept them for who they are. I am constantly trying to improve myself and when I get constructive criticism, I make sure to apply it in my daily life. This is the best I can do. Just to constantly improve and look towards the future! I am so grateful to all my readers and those of you who accept who I am, and love to read what I write! Thank you for always being there!
