This is brutally honest, about mental health. Truth is I have many amazing REAL friends, people that I've known for years: We hang out in person, can call each other any time on our personal mobile numbers. BUT YET like most people I see on social media, I focused too much on trying to get validated / acknowledged by "influencers" or people that I look up to, people who are considered "celebrities" (a-list to z-list), people who've been on reality shows, friends of people who've been on reality shows, people with a blue checkmark next to their name, etc.
As Larry Moss says in his book " Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor " : I'm in favor of therapy for actors, because I believe that the more you understand and resolve deep family hurts, the healthier you become, and the less frightened you are of your creativity. Don't make the mistake of thinking you have to continue to suffer in your own life to show the human condition when you're acting. The healthier you are, the better you can use the techniques I'm teaching you. "
ASK YOURSELF: Who do you jump to reply to on social media? What do you spend your time on each day? Whose posts do you reply to the most? Do you curate most of your social media posts to target specific influencers, showing off to them that you support them or support the same things they do or the same things they say, in order to get their attention, approval, and "like"? Whose posts do you reply to the most? Is it the influencers / "mini-celebs" / reality TV stars, OR is it your ACTUAL FRIENDS, aka people you can phone directly on their personal mobile numbers and chat with, people whose homes you stay at when in each other's cities, people you've hung out with in person many times? People who you've laughed with, shared tears with, attended concerts with IN PERSON. I've noticed TOO MANY people who reply instantly when their favorite celebrities/influencers post on social media, yet don't reply as much or not at all to their own friends and people whom they've spent quality time with in person.
Today it's Bell Let's Talk Day 2021. About Mental Health. In Canada. Let's stop using social media to get validation, acknowledgement, and attention from our favorite influencers. Instead, for our own mental health and more importantly for our own SELF-RESPECT and to respect our real friends, let's focus on the friends we have in our lives, our real friends who know us inside and out, all the good and bad, and still love us. Your real friends are:
1. People you can phone any time on their personal mobile phones and shoot the shit with.
2. People who you meet up with in person when in their cities.
I'm also repping This Common Love #thiscommonlove for mental health. I know the phrase is cliche, but love is love and don't you forget that. Tell your friends. Love over hate. Love trumps hate. I enjoy wearing comfortable clothes with a positive message and feeling good about myself. And I love helping others see their value no matter who they are, where they're at mentally and physically, and what their status is.
Note: Of course the influencers I follow are great people, I wouldn't have been attracted to them if they weren't. But it's a horrific terrible devastating sad trend that most people consume most of their time acknowledging and responding to these people. Where / what about their real friends in life? What about YOUR REAL FRIENDS? (I hope you have them and appreciate them).
#BellLetsTalk #bell #letstalk #january #mentalhealth #awareness #mentalhealthawareness #canada #friendship #loveislove
