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Alicia Smith: I swear this giraffe was trying to eat us.
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Have you done any of these recently?
- Checked to see how many “likes” you received on a picture, comment, or article?
- Tuned into Facebook, Twitter, or another social media to see how many friends/followers you’ve acquired?
- How about doing analysis on your website/blog to see how many new visitors/subscribers you’ve obtained?
- Then there are sites like Klout.com, providing a number for how much online “influence” we have. Ever taken a peek?
I’m not going to pretend I haven’t done one or more of these.
Many of us are passionate about our careers and aspirations. In our evolving world of technology, social media, and advanced/accelerated communication, gaining supporters and clients becomes more accessible than it ever has before. Building a platform, brand, or fan-base, can literally be at our fingertips. The internet has the possibility of not only extending the reach of our work/passions, but validating them all in the same swoop.
Sharing ourselves with others can be exciting. We want to help others. We want to share our knowledge. We want to hear a client’s feedback. And we appreciate the same in return. Unfortunately, this can be consuming, though, we may do our darndest to avoid it.
The Risks
Finding your voice, your creativity, your “influence” takes risks. It can be intimidating, scary, and ultimately, silencing. We’re putting ourselves out there for the world to judge. Even if our internet influence is strictly social, that doesn’t mean it lacks vulnerability. After all, every time actress Amanda Seyfried posts a photo of her dog with a duck perched on his head or reading the newspaper with his morning coffee (http://www.buzzfeed.com/lyapalater/amanda-seyfrieds-dog-is-americas-hidden-treasure), she’s inviting others to love it or leave it. (I’m loving it, by the way.)
As a by-product, there is this possible trap—falling into the landslide of life revolving around gaining “likes,” “friends,” “followers,” and the like. Those numbers that pop up on our phones (indicating a message, “like,” etc.) can sometimes taunt us until we finally bite, pressing our finger upon the shouting app to take a look.
Or what about beyond the internet and social media—those moments when we worry about what others may think before we move forward with what we believe is right? Again, there is value in the validation of others appreciating a part of us that takes courage to share. However, what happens when validation crosses over into a tad-bit obsessive?
The Answer
Then one day it hit me. The answer was so simple. I only need one fan. I mean that with one hundred percent of my being. We only need one fan. We need our Lord to be a fan of our actions, our work, our pictures, and our posts. And here’s the beauty of it: if He’s a fan, there’ll be thousands more where that came from. Image may be NSFW.
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“What, then, shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31
(NIV)
Tagged: Apps, Building a brand, Choices, Christianity, Courage, Facebook, Faith, Fans, Followers, God, Influence, Obedience, Passions, Platform, Relationships, Social Media, Twitter, Walking with Christ, Work Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
