Who Are You Following?
Although I cannot claim to be an expert, I find social media interesting in that there’s a lot of attention on who we follow and who is following us. The thought of this has inspired me to think about who I am following and who is following me in my everyday life.
For me, as I look behind me and before me, and ask myself, who am I following? I see a mosaic of cobblestones representing my journey, the people God has placed, and the ones I have chosen. Each stone symbolizes the influence of those people on my life, which then creates a path. It can be easy to allow jagged rocks to cut our feet so badly that the pain causes us to get off our path, miss some of the smooth stones on our path (people in our lives), or overlook possible stones to add to our path (people passing through our lives). Each step we take on our journey represents a decision to move towards a particular destination.
It is important to be intentional about who we choose to follow and what type of stone we choose to be on the paths of others.
Follow does not mean mimic...we are all too individually unique to do that! Instead, it means to strive after, aim at, or go in the same direction as or parallel to. The bigger question we have to ask ourselves is, what destination are we pursuing? Because that is going to impact who we choose to follow. Is the destination you seek peace, joy, money, success, self-fulfillment, etc...? If you don’t know where you want to go, you won’t know who to follow to get there. You will be aimlessly wandering, and your path will be chaotic.
In our quest to follow positive influences, we often find ourselves paradoxically engulfed in the superficiality of social media, spending more time scrolling through content that lacks genuine value. This disconnect can significantly impact our personal and professional goals by shifting our focus from meaningful progress to chasing temporary trends and validation. Our thinking becomes clouded by comparisons to carefully selected images and idealized personas, leading to self-doubt and misalignment with our true selves and aspirations. As a result, we might drift away from our authentic goals, favoring paths that seem more socially approved rather than personally fulfilling. This skewed perspective not only distorts how we view ourselves and others but also hinders our ability to make deliberate, informed decisions about our direction in life, ultimately affecting our growth and success.
To navigate your journey effectively, it’s crucial to first understand your destination. Knowing where you want to go in life helps you identify the mentors, leaders, and role models who can guide you along the way. Stop scrolling just for a minute and reflect on your aspirations and values—are the people you follow aligned with your goals and principles? By choosing your influences wisely, you ensure that those who shape your path are in harmony with your vision for the future, providing you with the support, inspiration, and even challenges needed to reach your full potential.
What is influencing the steps you are taking? Look down and ask yourself, who are the stones in my life? Who has influence over each step I take? Who am I following? What direction am I going in?
Do you know where you want to go, and are the people you follow helping you get there?
-Coach Jennie
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