Several months ago, on a Saturday morning, I woke up later than normal. I padded downstairs, said good morning to my husband, and brewed my favorite blueberry coffee. With my mug and cell phone in hand, I plopped down on the couch. I opened up Instagram, looking for a bit of Saturday morning leisure time.
As I scrolled through Instagram, I caught a glimpse of people’s Saturday mornings. I saw people’s healthy breakfast smoothies and early morning workouts. I saw a favorite Instagrammer planting in her garden and another hiking with her family. I saw people at farmer’s markets, the beach, and the dog park. I saw a friend tackling a DIY project and another refinishing a vintage dresser. So many people were doing cool things. But I sat on my couch and continued to scroll.
I saw images of people reading at the park. Another making homemade banana bread. One of my favorite Instagrammers was out on her farm, feeding her new baby sheep. So many people were up doing stuff, but I sat there, scrolling.
With each scroll, I found myself thinking, “How cool” or “That looks fun.” “I want to do that.” But I continued to sit. The longer I did, the more I wished I too were doing something fun or cool. I wished I were outside, at the farmers market, or reading on the porch. I wished I were making breakfast, painting furniture, or hiking with friends. And then it hit me.
I am sitting here, watching other people live their Saturday mornings, instead of living my own. I’m marveling at how lovely all these moments look for other people, instead of creating them for myself. I’m passively observing rather than actively creating.
It was a major a-ha moment for me. It was one of the two moments that prompted some major soul searching, which eventually led to my live on the weekend challenge. (I previously shared about my first a-ha first moment here.) This social media wake up call prompted me to realize that I was wasting my weekends. I was vegging instead of recharging. I was detaching instead of engaging. I was checking out instead of leaning in.
This post isn’t to bash social media or discuss how it’s not an accurate reflection of people’s true lives. Social media brings both cool things and unique challenges to our lives. It’s not all bad or all good. Like anything, it requires conscious consumption.
And in that moment on my couch, I became truly conscious of my consumption. It served as my social media wake up call. I realized I was longingly watching other people enjoy their Saturday morning instead of living my own. I decided that wasn’t how I wanted to live my life. So I made a radical change, deciding to completely make over my weekends.
If you find yourself passively observing the lives of others rather than living your own, I encourage you to do some soul searching. If you spend half your Saturday morning pinning things on Pinterest, rather than actually doing them, maybe it’s time for a change. Don’t just sit on the sidelines. Be active in creating the life you want.
Have you had your own social media wake up call? I’d love to hear!
PS: You can read more about my entire live on the weekend journey here.
