Stop Social Media!
Do this instead.
Imme
CEO von YAY
The big burden
Every week, I talk to parents who feel a big burden:
They are trying to figure out how to preserve their memories for their children.
Children don't remember most of their childhood once they're grown up. They might not even remember the most joyful moments. All they are left with are fragments. That's why many parents feel the need to document something. They want to create something that lasts, like a photo book or a journal.
But they keep telling me that they never find the time to do it!
Then I see them on Social Media posting stories about their family trips. Are you one of them? I don’t blame you.
Social Media is fun! It is also highly addictive.
But you’ll get away from it once you recognize that you’re focussing on the wrong audience.
Sharing memories on Social Media will not make you happy in the long term.
Today, we post pictures of the pizza we had for lunch ... In hope to get likes from strangers, or old classmates we would never talk to again.
We share funny sayings of our children on Twitter, but don’t archive them for our own kids. They should be the one laughing about it one day, shouldn’t they???
We’re busy publishing a lot of content for a largely unknown public, but don’t create anything for the people who truly matter to us: Our friends, our family, our children – this is the most precious audience to care about!
I promise you: Once you start preserving memories for THEM, the time you invest will gradually become more. You’ll become passionate about it because it’s something meaningful and fulfilling to do.
Let gratefulness grow
Look at the magic that happens to your family, to your children and to you, when you document and share your memories for THEM:
Grandparents will feel grateful:
Seeing a child grow up together creates a wonderful feeling of connectedness, regardless of whether your family lives nearby or not. Especially in times of a worldwide pandemic, your loved ones feel less isolated, when you share everyday stories with them.
Your children will feel grateful:
Kids like to see themselves in pictures and hear stories about their adventures. Showing them what you did the other day is a nice activity for families. But the best thing is that your children will be able to slip into your head 20, 40 or 60 years from now. They will get to know you, the kind of mom or dad you are today. They’ll see how proud you were of them. That will create a deep connection between you.
YOU will feel grateful:
Journaling is one of the best exercising tools for learning gratitude. And many studies prove that exercises of gratitude increase your personal well-being.
A diary is an especially useful tool for parents.
Raising kids means that you often doubt yourself due to the big responsibility you have. You find yourself with less time for yourself than you ever had. This can be very stressful! But if you can open your diary and read about the joyful moments you experienced the other day, you’ll be grateful. Every day a little more.
How can you start?
This evening, before you go to bed, think about one situation that made you feel good today.
Did you get words of encouragement from your colleagues? Did your child tell you a joke that made both of you laugh? Did you have a touching conversation with your sick grandmother?
Write down a couple of things about this moment and instead of just sharing it on Social, save it for you and your loved ones.
Your memories are your legacy. A legacy that is more important than fame and money. It’s your legacy of love. They are the greatest gift you can OFFER YOUR FAMILY.
Start creating your legacy today!
Get Inspired
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About the Author
Imme Scheit is the co-founder of YAY.
If you like that article, you really need to watch her TEDx Talk about that exact same topic:
TEDx talk "Stories behind Pictures"
She tells us first time her personal story that led her to create a #legacyoflove for her children.
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