Spirituality can be described differently, depending on who you ask. For me, in order to tap into my spirit (even if just for a moment), I must focus on a different level of existence and connect this focus to the harmonious energy of the Universe. I often view spirituality as an orchestra, where everyone plays a different instrument, but comes together as one to play beautiful music.
Spirituality is also a choice. Although we all possess the ability to find and connect with our souls, some of us choose to ignore it or rarely meditate on things that aren’t connected to the physical world as we know it. If we are to become a truly enlightened society, however, we must start working on building up our spiritual selves and weakening our egos.
The ego is defined as the false self. It is an illusion in which we believe ourselves to be only body and mind. The ego only uses the mind to think about how it feels in term of the body’s five senses and what it can do to stay comfortable and “alive.” When we say “I,” we are referring to our ego, completely unaware of our true selves…our spirits.
As with all things, technology has a beneficial side and a downside. The benefits of technology can vary, depending on the situation, and the downside of technology can also vary for different reasons. Today, I am going to discuss a particular sector of technology that could potentially erode our spirits; social media.
Social media sites do not automatically choke our spirits by themselves. In fact, there is nothing wrong with having a social media account to connect with family and friends and build up a business network. The danger of social media to our souls is how we choose to use our accounts.
There are a few questions you should ask yourself in regards to social media activity:
- Do most of my social media comments actually share something useful, or do I usually talk only about myself?
- Do I use social media to actually socialize, or do I only use it to broadcast every step in my day?
- Do I share photos of myself on my page for the sole purpose of boasting about my life?
- Do I rarely read other’s postings, only worrying about how many “likes” or comments my postings receive?
- Do I constantly check how many friends I have and worry when others have more friends than me?
Don’t be ashamed if you are guilty of any of these things; I am guilty of three. I want to point out that there is nothing wrong with occasionally sharing photos of life events or commenting on something that happened to you recently. However, there is a line that must not be crossed, lest we fall prey to our ego’s hungry appetite to constantly be assured of its acceptance and adoration by others.
It’s certainly easy to forget about the true meaning of life when we are constantly checking for meaning on our social media pages (where we will never find it). From now on, instead of using your Facebook page as a scrapbook of your ego’s strength, why not reach out to an old friend to see how they are doing? Or use your “Share” option to actually share something useful, like a recipe or a wise proverb.
If you want to build up your soul and minimize your ego, start sharing less of your “self” and more of your spirit on the internet.
Aniya Wells
Guest Blogger
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~
Aniya Wells is a freelance writer and blogger whose writing interests are decidedly consumer-focused. In an age in which consumers have access to unprecedented amounts of information, Aniya hopes to help her readers decode this information to make better decisions about online degree programs, personal finance, parenting, health and more. She can be reached at aniyawells@gmail.com.