We are living in a society that makes it easy to put our thoughts out into the cyber world. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, TikTok, Twitch, and more are out there for anyone to see. We (and by we, I include me) frequently share the things that make us look good. The latest house project, the newest crafts, the fun make-up tips, the cute family photo; these are all things we tend to post. But the reality is those things are just a dot in the line of life.

I frequently look at some of my friend’s posts and envy their ability to be creative or to have the perfectly put together wardrobe or make the perfect dessert. That is one of the dangers of social media. It is way too easy to find ourselves in the comparison game. We buy into the lie that their life is better than ours and they have it more together than we do. The fact is, there is not one of my friends on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter (sorry, friends) who has a perfect life, despite the fact that it may seem like it!

One of my goals this year is to be a more real and authentic with the people around me. The fact is, sometimes my life is just a mess! My self-confident persona is frequently plagued with self-doubt and insecurity. As a social person, I tend to share quite a bit, but there is always a part of me that I withhold from most people. While I am cautious about “laying it all out there” for the world to see, I do want people to understand that no one’s life is perfect–not mine for sure. As far as I know, Jesus was the only sinless person to ever walk this earth. The rest of us . . .  well, we just aren’t.

The cyber world is like any other venue we use to communicate. It needs to be used thoughtfully, with integrity, and with good common sense. Being vulnerable is hard. And it leaves us open to the judgment of others. Sharing that we have a messy life is difficult, but if we are real and honest about it, we will find that others are frequently in the same place. So here is to a year of honestly sharing–messy kitchen islands and all.