Today I almost bailed on social media

I did.  I almost went the distance and deleted everything...My  Blog, Twitter, Facebook, RSS Reader, Everything.  

But then I heard a voice.  That familiar, small, still voice that is the source of balance to my heart and soul.  He said, "It's not social media that is troubling you.  It's the way you're using it.  You're a consumer.  You need to shift into being a producer."

Huh?  So I headed to my favorite search engine, and discovered the following definitions...

Consumer:  one that consumes (to eat or drink especially in great quantity, to enjoy avidly - devour, to engage fully - engross, to utilize as a customer)

Producer:  One who produces (to offer to view or notice, to give birth or rise to, to make available for public exhibition or dissemination, to cause to have existence or to happen, to compose, create, or bring out by intellectual or physical effort) 

Ouch.  

I am definitely a consumer.  I read and read and read blogs, tweets, status updates, and seldom almost never respond, reply or comment.  The very definition of consumption wouldn't you say?

Now, am I saying reading these things is bad?  Not at all.  It is truly what is making the world go round these days....think about how much information we have at our disposal all. the. time.  All with just a click of a button either on the computer or phone. 

Now a producer on the other hand has something to offer, to compose, to create and notice it says by intellectual or physical effort...dare I add - discipline?

Ahh Hah!  That is where I've fallen apart.  The effort part.  The discipline part.  I have lots of ideas rolling around in my head all the time.  But they seldom if ever see the light of day.  It's easier to read the dozens of blogs others have written and be satisfied.  

But I'm not.  I'm frustrated.  That's how I knew a shift was coming.  And now I understand what it is.  I need to make that shift from consuming to producing...

So today I'm taking a step and doing some house cleaning.  
1.  My RSS feed.  I'm deleting the ones I don't read much...they are just always there...to read if I decide I want to.  blah blah blah  Truth be told, now that I'm knee deep into Twitter, I almost use that more like a "feed" anyway. 
2.  My iPhone.  I'm going to do some serious rearranging of apps.  And I'll be turning off notifications so that I'm not distracted by them.  I still think having them available for when I'm waiting (ie. carpool, appts, etc) is an ok thing, at least at this point....

My Grandma used to say...Everything in moderation is ok.  Well, yes and no.  But in this case, I think it is.  I just have to balance the scale a bit and spend more time producing and creating....

How about you - any struggles with the consuming - producing balance?

♥Lori

Linked with MaryBeth @ WIP Wednesday
                   Courtney @ Women Living Well WLWW