I sometimes wonder what possessed me to start a blog.

I’m not someone who can spend hours at the computer screen, probably because my brain isn’t used to it. Having been a teacher for a number of years, my job involves minimal computer time, so my brain doesn’t really handle being online for long periods of time that well.

However, all this suddenly changed a few weeks ago when I found myself spending most of my waking day on the computer after a hip injury. Now, don’t get me wrong, watching a series on Netflix when you’re sick or not feeling so great isn’t the worst thing in the world, but I did find myself wondering whether what I was doing and how I was spending my time online was beneficial to me or not. In fact, I became more than a little bit p*ssed off with myself.

After spending a lot of time trawling through the internet, giving myself multiple things to read or watch with several tabs open all in the name of entertainment, I suddenly one day found myself becoming very agitated. If you’re one of those people who finds themselves picking up their phone and now knowing why (and I think there are more of us out there than we’d like to admit!), you might relate to this feeling well. But for some reason, because I’d told myself that I had good ‘internet habits'(!), I thought I was immune to all of that.

Image by Gabriel Santiago via Unsplash

All That Glitters- Authenticity and the Internet

In this video (13:18), I talk about:

• my own recent struggles with falling down an internet rabbit hole
• how to know if your time on the internet is draining you or energising you
• what to do if you find yourself reaching for your phone, but have no idea why
• how to be mindful when using social media, and why it might be a good idea to think about authenticity and the internet
• how to know if your social media and internet habits are distracting you from facing issues or problems in your life
• the unexpected resource that made me see sense!

Colette Baron Reid’s Guidance

This is the guidance from Colette Baron-Reid that I mention in the video, which really helped me to see where I’d gone wrong.

My ‘epiphany’ card from Colette Baron-Reid’s new deck, ‘Wisdom of the Oracle’.

“A need to see beyond the superficial; the desire to don a mask or dress something up to disguise its true nature; trying to be something you’re not; chasing after every sparkly new thing; being mercurial.

The Oracle’s message: It’s only human to want to adorn oneself in trinkets and paint a pretty picture of oneself. It’s natural to want to acquire the trappings of status— or to deny them as a statement of rebellion. But if it sparkles, is it better? Whether it’s a fast car, a big house, a title or position, the stamp of authority, or the sparkling of diamonds, these icons let you know something about a person, place, or thing. Or do they? The truth is that people seek to acquire things because of what they will do for them, and how they symbolically will elevate them and make them more attractive. This card signals that it’s time to see beyond the adornments and probe underneath the surface. Learn to recognise the masks people wear and the motives underlying them. Imagine that all the glitter is gone. Would you still desire the object or person?” – (Taken from Colette Baron-Reid’s free readings page).

I’d love to hear your comments below my love- have you ever found yourself being swept away by the internet or social media? Do you struggle with authenticity and the internet? How do you bring yourself back to earth?

Love, Katie     xxx