Doer vs. Spewer

When we surf our social media feeds, we see a wealth of narratives that people are selling about their lives. Every word we type, every photo we post, and every thumb we put up tells the world something about who we are and what we value. Let's put aside for a moment the actual reality of our posts -- we all know that life is a heckuva lot more messy and complicated than what our feeds tell about us. However, with every post, we get to decide what kind of ENERGY we want to put out into the world.

I've been on Facebook and Twitter since 2010 and I don't even want to THINK about how much time I've spent/wasted reading other people's posts. So many selfies. So many pictures of food. So so so so many cat videos. And yet, I can tell you that when I go through my social media feeds, I can essentially sum up the mindset of every single person in just a few moments. I ask myself, "Is this person a Doer or a Spewer?" In other words, are they limited in their thinking or growth-oriented? Are they pessimists or optimists? Do they add to the collective good or take it away, one grumbling, negative, nasty tweet at a time?

Here's the deal. Everyone knows you better than you think they do. They are making judgments about the kind of person you are based on what you post. Because a post is a snapshot in time about what you are doing, thinking, and being. And if you post a bunch of negative garbage in the form of petty insults, complaints about bad service, and how life sucks and is out to get you, then that is what others will think of YOU. We ARE our posts.

Do you want to be known as a Doer -- someone who is out there living life to its fullest regardless of the occasional obstacles -- or are you a Spewer -- someone who wastes precious energy whining about all of the injustices in your world? Because life is hard enough as it is, and no one needs to hang out with, date, or hire anyone who is going to be dragging everybody down.

Before you go off and scour my social media feeds for anything remotely negative and submit it as a snarky comment (because, hey, that's exactly what the world needs -- more snarky comments!), I will tell you that I am not a 100% Doer. I have my moments. Stuff pisses me off just like the next person. But, as a mindfulness thought leader and someone who genuinely wants to embrace life instead of merely enduring it, I try my best to come from a positive orientation. I see the gifts. I express gratitude. I bask in joyful moments. I celebrate big wins. I goof around. And I believe that those choices reflect the kind of woman I want to be, and the world around me (friends, loved ones, romantic interests, clients, colleagues) responds accordingly.

So, dear one, before you make your next post on social media, consider how others will perceive you: are you a Doer or a Spewer? Because it matters.

Theresa Rose is a business motivational speaker, corporate comedian, and expert on mindful performance who helps organizations and their teams increase sales and revenue, develop stronger leaders, create better connections, and build healthier cultures. For more information, visit TheresaRose.com.

#mindfulness #mindfulperformance #speaker #mindset #socialmedia #writing #attitude