Why You Should Share The Positive, Not The Negative (Especially On Social Media)

Not too long ago I was asked why I don’t write about sad things anymore. My answer is this:

I don’t think there’s a magical equation in life that ensures you eternal happiness. And I don’t necessarily think happiness is merely internal. I, do, however think there are steps you can actively take to fill your heart just a little bit further each and every night. One of those things, I believe, is being careful with what you choose to share with the world.

Social media is full of gruesome videos, inappropriate photos, hateful comments, and sorely biased articles. It’s full of racism, bullying, and negativity. And frankly, folks, I’m sick of it.

Have we all been guilty of complaining on social media? Of talking about how tired we are, how much we hate our jobs, how much we miss someone who hurt us? Well, of course. I’ll be the first to admit you can probably find a post of my own on all of those topics if you dig hard enough.

But why? Why do we feel the need to spread that into the minds and hearts of our friends, family, and acquaintances who read our posts?

Do things happen that upset me, disappoint me, and hurt me? Certainly. And do I feel compelled to write about these events to process them, cope with them, and move on from them? Of course. That’s called “journaling” and it’s both an intensely personal and extremely healthy way to spend your time. Do I call my friends and family when I’m crying because something bad happened in my life? You betcha. We need that sometimes.

But do your 1,100 Facebook friends need to hear about that rude customer you had today? Well, probably not.

We pick and choose who we surround ourselves with. People who inspire us and love us. We pick and choose what we expose our children to — what we deem appropriate and beneficial. We pick and choose how we spend our time — doing things we find enjoyable. So why shouldn’t we be picky and choosy about what we share with others, what we expose others to? Why don’t we think about the effects of the things we share? Who we might be offending, who we might be hurting, who’s day we might be dampening?

It’s not to say you need to censor yourself but it is saying you need to be responsible. That you need to know what you’re doing when you put things out into a social world.

And to say it simply, I’m only going to put positivity out there. And that doesn’t mean I don’t feel, that I don’t hurt, or that things don’t get to me. It’s not being ignorant or running from the truth, it’s simply deciding to actively internalize the bad and share the good.

I could read an article that contains a video of an American journalist being beheaded that infuriates me and I could share it with all of you and make you all infuriated too, but what’s the point? What is that accomplishing?

So don’t expect another article about the next boy who breaks my heart. Will it happen? Inevitably. Will I write about it? For sure. But instead, I’ll choose to share with you why I think the world needs more love.

Social media is a tool. Remember that. Use it wisely. You can build for good or you can build for evil.

Frankly, I think there’s enough bad out there as it is. Consider doing something about it.