“May I Offer You Some Free Advice?”

“That would be nice.”

“Talk less, smile more.”

As anyone who has watched Hamilton knows, Alexander did not follow Aaron Burr’s advice. During a revolution, they weren’t the best words of wisdom. In a lot of ways they still aren’t great. However, when it comes to social media and keyboard cowboys, I’m thinking it might not be so bad for some people. Lately, I am noticing a lot of posts on social media that are seriously lacking integrity stemming from a refusal of people to keep their mouths (well typing fingers) shut. And couldn’t we all agree that when you lose integrity, you begin to lose support and relationships are damaged?

So in the spirit of talk less, smile more, here is my free advice.

1. Stop sharing screenshots of private conversations on social media. Even if you feel like you are the wronged party (because remember there are two sides to everything), it makes you look petty when you share screenshots. Also, it comes across as a desire to stir up drama in the comments.
2. Leave a person’s family out of whatever beef you have with said person. When you go trying to drag skeletons out of someone’s sibling’s, parent’s, or child’s closet in an attempt to make people not like them, that is a LOW blow. I don’t know a single person on this earth that isn’t without “a past” or some sort of flaws. And frankly if you’re going to throw people under the bus because of something their family did, don’t also brag about how you live like Jesus and love all people. As the priest said this past weekend, there is a difference in living a life about Jesus and a life of Jesus. If you’re living a life of then you love all people and show things like compassion, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. You can’t do that while airing people’s dirty laundry.
3. Do not use the misfortune of others for your own gain. There is a big difference between actually wanting to do good for your community and volunteering to legitimately help and “helping” so you can post a photo op of how great you are. The Bible says to not let your other hand know what the first hand is giving. In today’s world that means don’t post every time you help someone in need and especially do not post pictures that might lower the integrity of the people you are helping. A giving, loving heart is about caring and not photo ops!!!

To all my friends who are hurting because you’ve been the victim of one of these low blows, then I want to remind you that when people spew hate, there is often something deep seeded that they do not like about themselves that they need to work through. Along the same line, remember that your self worth should not be determined by lies (perceived or real) that people spread about you. Your self worth should be based in the truths that you know are your core values.

Thanks for attending my not-a-Ted Talk.

XOXO,

The Great Kaysby