Smiling Faces
Hello friends,
Thanks for tuning in and welcome back to a session of reading the thoughts that go on inside my head.
Today’s post is all about one of my biggest pet peeves and if you’re one of my closest friends or family or you follow me on Instagram then you probably know what I’m going to say.
Today’s post is about the people that smile in your face, but talk behind your back; the people that follow you on every social media site, but never openly support or even talk to you in person; today’s post is in honor of the green eyed little giant that we allll hate, but yet still exists, especially amongst us girls. So ladies, this one's for you:
As women, there are a lot of issues and enemies we have to face in the world around us. Yet for some reason, I find that instead of uplifting and encouraging each other, we tend to turn into each other’s worst enemy. One of my favorite quotes is:
and I truly take it to heart. I am not saying you are going to like every person you meet, because you won’t and I certainly don’t, but just because you do not like someone does not mean you go out of your way to tear them down or to wish badly on them. That says more about your character than it says about theirs and competing in the pageant world, I’ve seen this more times than I can count. Bare with me now, but sometimes I think in competing in pageants we are made to believe that we must like everyone, to the point that it can foster this almost fake mentality. And while I certainly don’t blame pageants for this, I do think that the community can play a role in fostering unhealthy reality of what relationships look like and how to deal with conflict. It’s okay to speak your truth. It’s okay to not like each other. However, you can still respect each other, coexist, and be excited for one another’s accomplishment because that’s what maturity looks like.
Over my life, I’ve noticed that it takes more energy to hate than it does to spread love and support, so therefore, I have no problem “liking” or “commenting” words of encouragement on other’s pages, even if they aren’t my favorite person because I genuinely want to see my peers succeed.
{but momma didn’t raise no fool so you won’t catch me kiki-ing on people’s page that have consistently wronged me, my friends, or my family cause I don’t play that. Cordial, yes. In your face, no.}
Now, back to the program, In a world of instant gratification, it is easy to get caught up in the percentage of followers you have, to the amount of likes you get and etc. Heck, I did it just last week when I realized I only got about 30 likes on my post regarding my blog, but actually received over 400 views on my site. I realized that it’s hard for a lot of the people that follow me to show their support for me, but it’s easy for them to constantly check on what I’m doing through other social media outlets or by asking people they associate with me. It bothers and irks the mess out of me, because while I am a very strong person, I also realize that I need support, too, and it’s something we often forget about when we discuss the strong people in our lives. Here are two quotes that have helped me with this:
"Sometimes, people try to expose what's wrong with you, because they can't handle what's right about you."
"People dislike you for one of three reasons: They dislike themselves, They want to be you or They see you as a threat."
The point I had to get to, and still have to constantly remind myself of is to realize that it doesn’t matter how many “likes” you get, or how many “followers” you have. Jesus only had twelve, but had a message that would go on to serve the masses -- and we are nowhere near the level of Jesus. Strive to get to the point where you can genuinely acknowledge and support the successes of those you follow and strive to get to the point where you care more about what you represent and the message you are sending, than you do about the "likes" because all it takes is one person to reach the right person and provide them with the tools to change their mindset.
Good luck on your journey and wish me luck on mine & stay tuned for next week when I talk about the difference between those in your circle, and those in your corner. Gonna be some true tea.
This song says it best, if you don't know it or never heard it, I encourage you to take a listen "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by Undisputed Truth. Here are two of my favorite verses from this song:
"I'm a-tellin' you beware of the pat on the back
It just might hold you back
Jealousy,(jealousy) misery (misery) envy (envy)
I tell you you can't see behind
Smiling faces, smiling faces, sometimes
Hey, they don't tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces tell lies and I got proof
Hey, your enemy won't do you no harm
(Rap on) 'cause you'll know where he's comin' from
Don't let the handshake and the smile fool ya
Take my advice, I'm only tryin' to school ya"
