....say it to my FACE!

Let's be real & I'm sure some of you agree that text messages, emails, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and yes, even Blogs etc. have become the new means of "communication & outward expression" for many people. Instead of directly going to the person you may have a problem/concern with, we in-directly express how we feel through the aforementioned social networks and communication devices. What happened to just being "real & upfront" with people? I ask myself this question as well because I for one am very guilty of this. I've used social networks to get a point across & free my mind of things I've encountered and feelings that I've felt, all the while remaining comfortable enough to do so behind the computer screen and/or phone- just being honest! Did the problem change? NO...if anything, it only got worse because I was still unable to fully express myself the way I needed to in order to move forward, therefore I stored anger, sadness, & more inside longer than I had to. There is nothing wrong with expressing yourself via the web so to say in my personal opinion, but it can sometimes be a cowardly move, especially if you are one of the ones that constantly shout from the mountaintop that you are GROWN!

We express our anger, apologies, disappointments, etc. in hopes that the person we are referring to reads our message. Truth be told, some people aren't "studdin'" you or me, lol, and may not even read what you've written!...THEN WHAT? The whole time you thought they read what you said, they actually didn't and in turn, it makes the situation worse because you didn't go to that person directly to make SURE they received word on how you felt! Words that come across a computer or phone have a tendency to be interpreted in the wrong spirit and give off messages that may not be true. As some people would say, I can hear the TONE in your message. While that may be true, we sometimes can't define or assume how a person feels through mere words, we need to be up close and personal with them to truly feel their vibe and pick up on their spirit.

...or phone, blog, email, tweets, etc.!

So, why is it so hard for us to express ourselves and be honest with people in person? I can't speak for anyone else when I say this, but for me, its been easier to deal with situations and people from a distance rather than have them all up in my space and me in theirs, especially if they are long distances away. It doesn't mean that I'm making excuses or "coping out", it just means that I would rather deal with you like this than like that. Now, don't get me wrong, I am the type of person that will in fact approach one face to face with an issue/concern if I'm able to in order to rectify the problem and get to the bottom of it all, but sometimes it isn't worth it. You have to ask yourself is the person worthy enough to go through all of that extra energy and you may even have to ask yourself is the person MATURE enough to solve the issue in a respectful and proper manner. If they are, you will do what you have to in order to make peace, but if they aren't, well.....things will just be...REGARDLESS, lol.

So before someone takes something you SAID (typed, written, texted, etc) the wrong way, if you are able, just go to them DIRECTLY and squash whatever issues there may be. Most importantly, when we say things through these social networks, we have to do them in the right spirit and obedience to God. When we go on and on and on and on, just babbling at the mouth without having permission from God to say these things, then we LOOSE. Also, I'm not saying that expressing yourself via the web or phone are wrong because some people do so better this way, I'm simply saying that sometimes our messages can come across wrong, and to avoid any "extra" stuff happening, its best to go TO the person.Once again, I have been guilty of this. One thing I want my readers to know is that I have no problem at all with telling you that I TOO mess up & don't fully obey God as I should. I'm still a work in progress myself & have never claimed to have it all together.

As I help you, I am helping myself. But we owe it to people to let them know how we feel directly, and we owe it to ourselves to do so in order to live peacefully, regardless of the outcome. Believe it or not, most people will appreciate your "realness" by sharing with them how you feel. But make sure that when you share with them how you feel that you too check yourself. Don't ever make a person feel bad for what they've done because that is not your place, its God's and even he won't make us "feel bad" so to say, but he will help us to feel the consequences behind our actions in order to HELP & not harm us. Even though things may change, including people's perception of us and our relationships with them, you'll feel better knowing that you tried to do the RIGHT thing by going to your brother or sister and trying to make things better.

Use those texts, fb statuses, emails, blog posts etc. to spread some GOOD, POSITIVE, UPLIFTING news instead of using it in hopes to get the attention of the person you have something against. Though they are indeed wonderful platforms to express how you feel, don't forget that its not about YOU all of the time & get carried away with only your thoughts. There are alot of hurting people out here in the world that need YOU to give them a sincere, encouraging, and heartfelt word from God, therefore, you don't have time to waste space or energy tapping more into being messy or immature than sincerely trying to help the next along. I personally use this blog as another source of communicating and prayerfully encouraging and helping those I know and don't know to be their best selves! I'm taking heed to these words as well and striving to get better day by day! Its a struggle sometimes, but one that will be well worth it in end. I hope this helps someone just as much as it did me!

***Have you been guilty of indirectly trying to get your point across via the web or phone? If so, how did you feel afterwards?Any advice on this matter? I'd love to hear....

Thanks for reading :-)