This is a long overdue post… as I have been reaping the benefits from the connections I’ve made through Instagram for a while now. Before I began my journey on Instagram, I was a much different person. I was afraid, I was jealous, and I compared myself to everyone else all the time. (Comparison is the thief of joy btw)
Anyway, let’s cut to the chase shall we? You might be thinking, “How can people on Instagram change your life, in real life?” Maybe all the “influencers” or friends you follow make you feel like poop because all you do is compare your life to theirs. Well, I’m here to tell you that if you feel that way you are following and connecting with the wrong people. Now, I don’t know how I happen to find the RIGHT people… I might’ve just gotten really lucky… but here is what I learned from the right people, and here is how the right people turned into some of my friends and helped fuel some of my success.
#1 BE HAPPY FOR OTHERS
This is soooooo huge. I mean, I made it number one for a reason. As humans we tend to get jealous when we see someone get something we want or reach a goal we are trying to reach ourselves. I understand because I used to never be able to be happy for someone else, and I mean genuinely happy. We’ve all experienced that weirdness when you tell someone something you’re super excited about and they’re just like, “yeah… that’s cool” then they change the subject. Stop being that person and get away from those people!!! It’s okay and even GOOD for you to be happy for others and celebrate others success. I noticed that when I started being happy for others, I became naturally more happy AND successful… funny how that works, huh?
#2 THE INTERNET IS NOT SUCH A SCARY PLACE AFTER ALL
Sorry mom and dad, but I definitely met with people I met on the internet… and it was amazing haha. Of course, they were girls and you should always be careful because unfortunately there are bad people in this world… BUT through my social media journey, so far all I’ve met are amazing individuals that are as passionate and creative and fun as I am. Don’t be afraid to reach out, form real connections, and be yourself. I’ve found that through doing this, I attract and find people who share my interests and who are motivated and that is something that has helped keep me inspired and motivated.
#3 THERE IS SUCESS IN NUMBERS
And safety. But success too! If you think you can make all your dreams come true by yourself with no help, you probably can… but will it take WAY longer and be a lot harder? Heck yeah it will. I used to hate asking for help or working in groups because I was shy and didn’t know how to relate to my peers. Now that I have gotten over that I have found that the best way to achieve anything is to work with others who share your vision… So find those like minded people!
The biggest inspiration for this post came from Gal Getaway that I attended last September. It was right before my wedding (post on that coming soon) and I set out to spend a weekend with a few girls I met on Instagram in Austin, TX. I honestly don’t remember how exactly I became friends with Kahlea on Instagram, but I happen to see she was coming to Texas to do an event and after doing a little bit of research I decided I wanted to be apart of it. So I messaged her asking if she still had spot available and reserved my spot a few weeks later. Now, she will say that this particular Gal Getaway was not a good experience cause I knew she had some issues with the airbnb and some other things, but she really held it together well and still provided a lot of helpful insights and advice.
This girl was very impressive and she was the same person in real life as she was on instagram. It was very apparent that Instagram was and is probably one of the BEST tools for finding & meeting people who inspire, motivate, or just captivate you. Gal Getaway was a great experience and all the girls were truly really awesome and I still enjoy and engage with their content to this day.
What I have learned from all this, is that it’s a lot about support and it has never been easier to find. We live in a time where everything is right at our finger tips and if you really want something, well, I’m here to tell you that you can have it if you leverage the technology and connections you have already. So don’t be afraid to get out there and find those people who get you, reach out, discover those friends… I promise you it is all worth it.
