Throughout the years, and phases of life that automatically affiliate themselves with the change, I have received, observed, and stumbled across articles of advice of various mediums. These have not only aided in sculpting who I am today but have more-so governed my day-to-day principles.

1. Find a talent, capitalize on it.

2. You are LITERALLY capable of anything. ~ Hendrick M.

Apart from being God, you can really do anything. If you believe you're bad at math, think again! Enough time dedicated to a task could make it possible...ask the Wright Brothers :)

3. "You are no better than anyone else" ~ Desiderata

Esteem everyone around you, even those who seem 'lesser'. Revelation may come through anyone.

4. Unlearn ~ Franny & Zooey

We are subject to fallacy. Learn, and unlearn the illusionary differences between subjects. This will allow growth.

5. Escape the comfort zone.

“I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”

― C. S. Lewis

6. Don't do anything you can't tell your diary. ~ Experience

Moreover, remember the 'divine justice' of God. Do to others as you would like done to you. Unfortunately, I learnt this the hard way.

7. Everyone has a story to tell

Mamela, hörmal, Listen.

8. Sometimes, you need to present yourself~ Experience

As deplorable as it appears, this is a reality I've learnt. Attire and carry yourself to mimick the treatment you want. Society is conditioned in classism, and so sometimes the "fake it 'til you make it" approach aids.

9. Speak what you want/ feel. ~ Gilmore Girls, Daria

Voice your concerns, no matter how invalid it may seem. Honesty is really the best policy.

 10. Say 'thank you' instead of 'sorry'. ~Pinterest post

This was directed to those who overuse "sorry".  Instead of overstating "Sorry for being late" use "Thank you for waiting for me", for example. 

 11. Incorporate a higher vocab.~ Kganya M.

12. If something is meaningful, you don't need a tattoo to remind you. ~ Rules for my Daughter

Although, they do look nice :)

13. Give ~ Experience, The Bible

Be generous with those around you. Occasionally, be generous with yourself. Give gifts beyond monetary grounds i.e time, an ear, etc. Give anonymously as well.

14.  Travel as a local, not  a tourist ~Experience

Here's an experience of mine. On a long-distance train ride in Germany, I came across a young woman (around 21 years of age) who inexplicably captured my attention. I felt a strong urge to communicate with her, and enquire about her life, and noticed a reciprocation of this feeling from her end. An attempt to bond had been exerted, however, it had proven futile. We could not exceed basic greetings and exchanges due to the language barrier. I had a similar experience in France but managed to divert it. This taught me the importance of dedication to understanding cultural practices, as well as the significance of an elementary comprehension of the local language. 

15. Take it easy on your mother ~ Franny & Zooey, Experience, The Bible, Hendrick M., Fiona T.

16. Accept compliments and chivalry ~ Experience, Ungerer H.

17. Scrutinize everything! ~ Experience, education

From news to your media intake, to your very own perceptions of your environment. Explore why that song/ book/ film makes you feel that way, or why the journalistic narrative is biased to that specific direction at this given time in political history. Scrutinize. 

18. You do have control over some things.

Like what your intake is,

19. You don't have control over everything.

Ultimately, God's Great design is beyond our comprehension. Believe in His supremacy beyond our understanding.

20. Be content~ Life

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that..."

― 1 Timothy 6:6-12 

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

― C.S. Lewis

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

― Matt 6:33

How many times have we heard the words "social media has a negative impact on the youth" or the famous "Facebook/ Instagram/ TikTok (etc) is toxic"? It has, in actuality, gotten to the point where we discredit this completely or classify it as just another topic that has overstayed its visit in conversational spheres. But, lets really take this seriously. Social media, in all forms, really does gnaw on the minds of both the self-actualized and weak.

When I was 17, I decided to explore a path of zero social media (including Whatsapp, except for my non-interactive photography platform) and managed to continue on for two years. This year, I became more active and found that over a span of a month, my desires and general well-being were somewhat altered. Here's what I found:

1. I've craved attention more

After receiving a smidge of attention, that I'd grown accustomed to not having, I unconsciously began to do/ say/ post things that would trigger a similar response of appraisal. After some time, one could (again, unconsciously) retweet, post, or speak about current issues through the popularised lens to heighten the feeling of approval, which oftentimes proves to be the case.

2. My definition of me had changed

After some time away, I grasped and let out the image of myself through what I found the most genuine. I have come to realize that social media pushes a front of categorizing people according to cliques and cliches. Just a moment on youtube, and you'll be bombarded with "Dressing like an Indie chic"," Cottagecore must-haves" or even "Things people with Bipolar disorder relate to." Ultimately, by constantly witnessing the boxing and stereotyping, we respond by finding a place or cultural grouping we somewhat relate to and then morph the rest of our being into this archetype, rather than accepting that multifaceted aspect of beings.

3. A decline in spiritual depth

Now, as much as these platforms provide an opportunity to connect and grow spiritually, it also contradicts itself by placing all sorts of other gunk that distract us on the same level. It is very easy for someone to feel inspired after watching a Youtube video on the beauty of God's great design, and then click on an innocent video after titled " memes -October edition" where extensive dark humor is applied. In a way, your development is being countered with negativity and we oftentimes fail to realise this. Eventually, it gets to a point where we're under a pseudo-reality, and honestly believe our daily efforts to strengthen our spiritual walk are adding up, whereas in actual fact its a steady decline.

Here's what I've found to be the truth for me on this matter: social media crafts us to follow and to confine ourselves. The best way, if completely necessary, to participate is to lead an unattached profile ( where you use it for business or profiling purposes) is the best way to use social networking.