On When Pinterest is a Suck and Not an Inspiration

Some of my best ideas have come from pinterest.  I don't feel like that's an exaggeration.  "I could eat a horse," now, that's an exaggeration.  Unless you live in a country where people do eat horses, in which case you're not really communicating the extent of your hunger, more just expressing a meat preference.  But for realz, some of our favorite recipes, best reads, cutest boots, dreamiest house layout plans, they've come from pinterest.

Favorite Meal via Pinterest

Sometimes, pinterest can inspire.  And that's nice.  I find that when I go to pinterest just to explore, or just to find some examples of an idea I already have, it can do its best work.  Looking for a new baked spaghetti recipe?  There are ideas for you.  Can't put your finger on the type of sweater you're looking for, or what goes with the sweater you've got?  They've got that covered.  Looking for new quilt ideas, handbag trends, and things to make with excessive amounts of butter and sugar, those are all reasons that I head to pinterest.

Favorite Boots via Pinterest

But then sometimes it sucks.  And not just in a "Pinterest, you suck" sort of way.  I think that it can seriously suck the good stuff right out of you.  For me, if I'm even slightly unhappy with my {house, decor, pantry pickings, wardrobe} (choose one), I look through pinterest (and other social medias *coughInstagramcough*) and find myself even more disatisfied.

Favorite Book via Pinterest

That, dear friend, is not life giving.  Its life sucking, and its dumb (now I'm talking to me.  For you, I wouldn't use the word dumb.  Let's say "misguided, yes?).  If I know I'm unhappy, and I go and look at what "everyone else" "has", the chances of me leaving a venture like that more satisfied than when I started are basically nil.  Looking at the best that everyone else is offering is never going to make you more satisfied with your own lot.

On a side note, this sort of makes me want to start a website where people share the lousy parts of everything so that when you go and look at all of their dirty floors and dirty children and poor, poor fancy-knob-less dressers, you'd feel good about yourself.  Except I'm pretty sure that is a slippery slope and would also fall under the heading of "not life giving".  End aside.

The same principle applies when I start seeing all of the things that other people are doing, not just what they have (or have ideas for).  Some people are cutting their kids lunches into dolphins that are swimming in a sea of bean sprouts with jelly fish string cheese.  Some people do more for their children's/spouses birthdays than just string pom poms on thread and pretend to have balloons.   People are traveling the globe and adopting orphans and writing books and doing all. the. things.  If I'm not careful, I can start to feel stale.  Stagnant.  Unproductive.  

Favorite Floor Plan via Pinterest

Here's the little tricky truth that lies inside those lies: the truth is that, compared to (some) other people, I am sort of stale, stagnant, and unproductive.  There is (and always will be) someone who is doing more than me.  The implied lie in that truth is that it is a worthwhile effort to compare myself to other people.  

They are not my measuring stick.  

You, sweet lovely person who has your child's nursery all laid out and makes your husband a 52-page picture book for valentines day that he actually likes and who has been to Malta and Bora-Bora and knows famous people, you're a darling.  I'm happy for you.  I'm not meant to be you.  Even though there are definitely parts of what I'm seeing that I would gladly, happily hijack, I can't and I won't, and I've got plenty good going on when I take time to realize it.

And that is the not-tricky and most important truth: my value doesn't oscillate depending on how I measure up against the invisible pinterest people.  My value is inherent, and there is no gain to be found in comparing myself with others, real or imagined.  So while pinterest can be helpful to inspire and save ideas if you come at it with a right attitude, you have to control that attitude.  Which means I have to control my attitude.  Which for me, means focusing on gratefulness and contentment, both on and offline.

Thank you for letting me work out my feelings and write down reminders to myself on here!  Happy Wednesday!

<3 M.