I decided I didn’t need this in my life

In 2020 when things went sideways, I got a very strong message to let go. At first, I didn’t really know what to let go of, but over time, my intuition guided me.

And PS (yes there is a PS in the second paragraph), it wasn’t a lightning bolt of clarity. Rather, it was a little nudge every so often; an idea that kept coming back. Initially, I didn’t listen very carefully but there it was, over and over again until I decided to take action. 

The nudge was to close my LinkedIn account. My mind had things to say about that because I had thousands of connections. I had taken courses in using LinkedIn effectively, I had poured a lot of time and effort into it and it was part of my business.

However, intuition often doesn’t make any sense and regardless, it’s good to act on it. So one day, I clicked delete. I was very surprised at what happened next. 

(Just like this:)

A wave of relief and energy washed over me. It took me a while to realize why but eventually it dawned on me that there had been a lot of energetic tension wrapped up in the very fact that I knew I could be doing more with the platform and yet I wasn’t. Once I released it, all the tension disappeared and I got access to the energy that had been tied up. Freedom! (See the song of the week for more on that wonderful feeling.)

Little did I know that the initial release of LinkedIn would lead to even more goodness

Gradually, my interest in social media declined on the other platforms too. I took Facebook off my phone and also deleted my Twitter account (which I never understood anyway). I turned off all the notifications and visited less often. 

I can’t even tell you the last time I went on Facebook. I’ve been getting the nudge to delete that account as well. I’ll act on it soon. 

Now, I still have Instagram so I can see what my kids are posting but apart from that, there’s not much happening in social media land for me.

The other day, our family was listening to a teaching by Brendan Burchard and I became aware of how much my life has improved as a result of dramatically reducing social media. 

Brendan shared that social media is retraining our brains to be more judgmental and comparative. He said that every swipe entails a judgment (Should I like that post? Should I comment on that post? Do I like that person? Why would they post that? Why do so many people post photos of their meals?!?, etc.) and the opportunity to compare yourself to others. 

I could definitely see how that had happened in the past in my social media experience. By mostly eliminating it from my life, there are way fewer opportunities for those less-than-optimal experiences of comparison and judgment to happen. 

The other thing I noticed is that I have way more time to focus on the things I love to do and that are important to me. 

Now, I’m not telling you what to do. I’m just sharing my experience and what’s worked for me. I think the most important thing with social media, which we share often with our kids, is to use it with consciousness. Be aware of what’s happening. Observe what’s showing up for you as a result of going on any of the platforms.

If social media is enhancing your life, fantastic. Go you!

If you notice some less-than-optimal experiences, there’s an opportunity to decide how you want to proceed. 

I can tell you from the other side that I certainly don’t feel left out or that I’m missing out on anything. I’m glad to have more energy and time. I prefer to go inward rather than outward and now I can do that more often.

Okay, I’m off to delete Facebook! The time has come. 

May you have a week filled with freedom and abundant energy.

With liberating love and astonishing courage,

Christina

>Creator of Courageous Self-Care

>Just danced to the Song of the Week and feeling awesome!

>Eating copious amounts of Kitchari thanks to the Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse I’m currently doing

PS - No live yoga class this week. Next session is on May 12th.

PPS - At some point in the near future, there will be a small monthly charge for the Body Awake Yoga classes and library. Details to follow. Enjoy all the free access right now!

Remember the 90s? Do you realize they were THREE DECADES ago??? I can barely get over that. They are still so… present.

Anyways, here’s a song I love from around that time by one of my favourites; George Michael. I just love his music. His voice is like velvet and he had such a diverse array of songs and styles. 

I’ve had many memorable moments with George’s songs. (Slow dancing in a storage closet with my grade 6 crush Kenny to One More Try. Tap dancing at age 7 on stage in a pink and white costume to Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. Listening to Faith over and over again on my ghetto blaster - because it was the 80s and I was cool.)

This one is called Freedom ‘90. It’s great for dancing, singing out loud and just generally enjoying the goodness of life. The beat is just so intoxicating! Enjoy.

Freedom on iTunes

Freedom on Spotify

Last week, I had the immense privilege of going to see a performance called Step Afrika. Usually, they just tour through the US, but they chose one city to go to outside of the States and lucky us, it was Calgary!

The performance was part history lesson (in the best way possible), part music (singing, drumming and percussion), part African dance, part Step Dance and an astonishing amount of energy, enthusiasm, passion and goodness.

I literally cried in awe for about the first 20 minutes. (My son kept glancing over to see if I was okay.) I was more than okay! I was in pure bliss. The show was absolutely spectacular and so I urge you to go see it if it’s anywhere near you in the near future. 

Here’s a little clip for your viewing pleasure. 

Here’s a link to their site for their schedule and other info.