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About two months ago, I did something I swore I’d never do: I created a Pinterest account. It’s not that I had anything specific against Pinterest, but rather that I saw it as an incredible new way for me to waste valuable time — time I could not afford to waste.
When I found myself getting on Pinterest to find ideas, then bookmarking the original sites those Pins came from more and more often, I decided my resistance was futile. While I did spend several hours browsing those first couple of days, I did quickly settled into a healthy Pinterest habit from a time standpoint. I did not, however, anticipate the larger problem.
Pinterest: A Potential Source of Self-Doubt
My specific area of interest on Pinterest lies in the DIY and Crafts section. I love craftiness and I love being self-sufficient as much as possible. I quickly filled boards such as “Homemade Cleaning Recipes”, “For the Kids”, “Fun with Mason Jars”, and “Homemade Personal Care”. Then I came to terms with a terrible realization: I do not have time to do even a fraction of the neat things I’ve found to do on this website.
That got me to wondering if I really didn’t have time or if I just wasn’t organized/motivated/driven/smart/efficient enough to make the time. All of these people posting these great ideas seem to have their lives so together. Their homes are beautiful, their husbands adore them, and their kids have quality, fun mom-time every single day. Boy, did I fall short!
What was my issue, anyway? It’s not like I’m locked away in a cave trying to create the latest, greatest construction estimating software, after all. I write for a living. At home. Yet, my family and my home seem to get less attention that the homes and families of women who work brick and mortar jobs every day.
Coming to Terms with Reality
I found myself sinking into a funk because of my inadequacies as a super-mom. For several weeks, I didn’t want to do anything if I couldn’t do it to perfection — which basically meant that I didn’t want to do anything at all. Then it hit me: none of these Pinterest people are perfect. It’s just one small, impressive portion of their life that they share with the world.
Pinterest is not a list of requirements you must complete in order to consider yourself or your life successful. It’s just a cool website packed with really neat ideas that you can choose to try or leave alone. Just because I like something I see there, or because a Pin seems totally ingenious, does not mean that I am a failure if I don’t do it or didn’t think of it myself.
I guess my message is, no matter what social media sites you frequent, don’t allow them to make you doubt yourself. The world is a diverse place full of people with different skills and talents. We don’t need to all be the same. There’s probably somebody out there who wishes they had your specific talents, after all.
