Social media will have you thinking everyone is your friend if you don't keep it in perspective. Don't get me wrong, those people I've never met in life who always RT an article or add a playlist, I love y'all. I'd love to meet you in person and tell you this myself. Overall though, the likes and RTs of strangers do not equal people who will show up when you need them to or hold you down when something is super serious. That's okay though, that's not their role in your life and it shouldn't be an expectation.
The thing is, lines get blurred sadly. Someone calling you "bro" or "sis" can feel so good because it doesn't happen often. You might be at a place where you get the idea it means more than a simple Tweet. Maybe you take the people in your life for granted and don't acknowledge how down for you they are, but maybe also they really aren't there and you're seeking that validation. I've learned it really doesn't matter how many people like and comment on a picture of you if you don't like it yourself...or simply like yourself at all.
To quote the guy I always quote "The only ones I wanna tell are the ones I can call." Part of my success used to be motivated by flexing on those who doubted me. I'd broadcast EVERYTHING so people knew the energy I was on and never doubted me again. The thing is, people are funny in that once they see you're actually making the things happen that you set out to, they slowly begin to support you. "People don't be happy for you, they be surprised" is one of the realest things I've ever heard.
I'm happy for myself now. Before I tell anyone anything that happens, I take a moment to pat myself on the back and acknowledge what I've done. Then I take it to my family, the bros, my lady, and anyone else who I feel is genuinely riding with me. I had a conversation a few months back with one of my longtime best friends about the idea of support and focusing on my audience. It was tough to accept, but in that conversation I came out realizing even those closest to you may just not give a fuck what you're doing. Not out of malice but maybe because it's not an interest of theirs or they have their own lives to attend to.
True. While disappointing because I do feel friends should take an interest in what their friends do, everyone is different and engages in friendship differently. It doesn't have to be some dramatic thing though. You can keep it pushing, and it can still all be love. Just move accordingly. Life is a lot about how we react to things. Things done by others may hurt you, for sure, but you can just shake them off and recognize that wasn't the intent.
Now, this post isn't a generalization. There are in fact some trash friends out there. Friends who go behind friends' backs, friends who get upset when other friends don't do what they want them to, and friends who use relationships solely to benefit themselves. It absolutely fries my brain to think about how people are so comfortable taking from others with nothing to offer in return, whether resource-wise or emotionally. It's flabbergasting how people can tout friendships and gas each other through social media when you in fact don't like each other and were probably just talking shit. We live in a nasty world, and not everyone has your best interest at heart.
Thus why it can be so easy to attach yourself to those social media friends. When all else fails, one of them is there with a like or a RT. This probably seems like a very pessimistic post, and had I written it months ago it probably would have been worse. I love and accept everyone in my life who I have chosen to be there. You can't control people. If you're there for me in any way and give me any shred of your time, it means the world. And I too am there for you. I think we all can sit down and count up some people that are real ones in our lives. It's best to appreciate what you have instead of complaining about what is lacking. As quickly as we can feel like we have it all, we can lose it all.
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