I once thought nothing could be harder than quitting a drug addiction but I’ve learned this is not the case. The hardest thing I’ve ever done and I believe the hardest for many to do, is to make the decision to choose courage over comfort. Take the path less traveled, be an independent thinker and speak the truth. The intent of the BREADCRUMB TRAIL is to inspire these actions and help readers find forms of FREEDOM they may not have known existed.
We are naturally gifted with several forms of FREEDOM, including the ability to choose the focal point of our mind. With rising suicide rates, the prevalence of obesity in America, and a Federal budget of $34.6 billon dollars for drug control in 2020, it seems many are choosing the wrong things to focus on.
Cognitive dissonance is defined as inconsistency between a person’s thoughts and feelings and their behavior. Some of us are aware of it, like when we want to lose weight but go for a heaping portion of dessert anyway. Others are not so aware of their contradictions, like promoting peace and unity while looting and burning down buildings.
Most addictions are a form of cognitive dissonance and come in many different shapes and sizes. They’re usually formed unintentionally and lead us to wonder, “how did I get here?”
Addictions of all kinds generally carry a form of denialism, especially when the subject is something widely acceptable and “normal” in society, like consuming alcohol or being on Facebook all day long. Fear of missing out is what keeps many people trapped, regardless of how we feel. Most often than not, we don’t realize the alternatives or that there may be a better way.
Last week I offered 3 Questions to Evaluate Your Relationship with Facebook. My hope was to bring your true feelings to light and decide whether or not Facebook served your highest good. If you’ve decided to follow in my shoes and Walk This Way, that is, away from Facebook and the alternative reality that comes with it, today’s post offers new paths and better ways to spend your time.
3 Alternatives to Help Free You From Facebook
Alternatives to Picture Sharing:
Instead of using Facebook to share your photos and videos, use a photo album sharing feature with your family and friends. (To download all of your Facebook pictures in less than 5 minutes, click HERE.) I just started using this feature on my iPhone last year. You can create an album and invite people to share with. You upload your photos and videos, add a caption if you’d like, and the people in the album can like and comment, just like on FB!
Here is the LINK to set up for Apple products.
If you’re an Apple addict and the people you’d like to share with are Android users, down fret! It’s true that Android doesn’t have a shared photo album feature but there is a work around in this LINK.
Lastly, this LINK lists the 14 Best Photo Sharing Apps for iPhone & Android.
(Yes, FB is included in the list, but so are many others!) Using one of these apps eliminates any restrictions based on what device you and the people you share with use. I would recommend, “Cluster”
There are plenty of options out there, you just have to find the one that works best for you! This is one of the many examples of the benefits of capitalism and a free economy. Just sayin’ 🙂
Alternatives to Viewing Your FB Memories
I’ll admit it, this topic was tough for me. For several years, before I moved to Texas, I spent every Wednesday afternoon with my Grandpa at a local watering hole. Grandpa is 98 years old now and I treasured this time spent together. Each week, Grandpa would ask, “is it time for our selfie?” I’d take our picture and post to FB with a short description of our afternoon. Hundreds of people each week would like and comment. I’d bump into someone at the grocery store and they would ask how Grandpa was doing. He became a celebrity of sorts!
Every morning I pull up my FB memories and it makes my day when Grandpa and I come up. (I’m guaranteed at least one memory per week with him!) After much thought, I realized I had to reframe how I was thinking about this.
I have hundreds of pictures of my Grandpa and me. HUNDREDS.
I’m not losing any pictures or those memories. Those memories are mine forever. They are stored safely in my head, and more importantly, in my heart.
A really fun alternative and a much longer lasting way to preserve your memories is through Shutterfly. SHUTTERFLY offers a wide variety of ways to transfer your photos, and hence your memories, into everyday products. My new favorite is their “Photo Book.” It’s a modern form of an album and a tangible way to capture life’s greatest moments. They also make awesome gifts!
Create your first book HERE.
Alternatives to the Time You’re Used to Spending on Facebook
You may not even notice how often you reach for your phone to tap and scroll. It’s almost instinctive. Communication is primarily done through social media, texting and e-mail, and our phones are the primary path to these avenues. Try using your phone for its original intent, to make and receive phone calls. A 5 minute conversation with Grandma or Grandpa or a childhood friend will mean more than any “like” they could give you online.
You can also try living in the present moment more often. This is a task people dedicate their lives to achieving through various forms of yoga and meditation. You’re never technically in the present moment when you are scrolling on your device. Though it’s real time data and updates, you’re likely missing out on your own surroundings. Have you ever found yourself “creating posts” in your head throughout the day?
A couple of months ago I was looking at a poster of Annie Oakley at the Fort Worth Stockyard Museum. I instantly thought back to when my Grandpa called me Annie Oakley as a kid. I caught myself smiling and a tad emotional from this memory.
The second thought that came to mind was what a great FB post this would make. What would my caption be? Should I freshen up for my picture? How many likes would I get? I found myself doing this frequently without even realizing it. Instead of thinking “this would be a great post for FB” I wished I had thought “this would be a great picture to give to Grandpa!” (Who is not on FB)
I’ve learned that my time is better spent focusing on the people in my life who genuinely want my attention, then worrying about the attention I might get on social media.
The best attention I can recommend turning to is the presence of God. He deserves our time and attention because He is the One who gave us the freedom to choose our focal points. I cant help believe that He hoped He would be the center of our attention.
In order to break the patterns of cognitive dissonance, you have to reframe your thoughts. In order to change your behavior, you have to first change the way you think about that behavior. If you need to change the way you think, give your mind to Him and ask Him to direct your thoughts.
If you’re not totally convinced that there is life beyond Facebook and the undeniable censorship associated with it, take the time to check out these additional alternatives to the platform.
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May God bless and protect everyone reading.
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