I Won’t Let Social Media Make Me Forget to Give Myself Grace

By Jasmine Kelly

The world we live in is a cruel one. In the era of “Cancel Culture,” you make one mistake and it’s curtains. Social media does not help either. We see major accomplishments being posted everyday and while we are happy, there is always that little voice in our heads questioning if we are doing enough or even worthy of such things. We cannot afford to give energy to such thoughts.

I, too, find myself being hard on myself, especially lately as I have been very unmotivated in my day to day life and my “hot girl summer” is nonexistent. All I want to do is read magazines, watch YouTube vlogs and enjoy the peace and quiet of it all. Before I spiral down a hole of self pity, I remember to give myself grace and to practice a little self-compassion. I remember that I just completed my second year of my doctoral program and had a job change. Both instances were very dynamic, not to mention they happened while I was also balancing the demands of my personal life. Very taxing. Honey, I deserve a break! Yet, in this world of “chasing the bag” and “grinding,” just the mention of rest takes some aback. Not I! When I feel that I am not doing enough, I remind myself that I am doing just what Jasmine needs to be doing, which is staying in my lane and trusting God. Both of which take maximum effort.

By no means am I perfect, but I must remind myself that I am human. Sometimes I will say the wrong things, make mistakes, and allow my temper to get the best of me. I give myself grace by acknowledging my missteps, correcting the behavior and moving on with my life. Anything less and I will drive myself crazy and impede on the progress that I could be making instead.

Long story short, this life is tough. You will have trials and tribulations, but you will also have triumphs. It is my only hope that you remain poised through it all. In my grandmother’s words, “Never allow success to go to your head or failure to go to your heart.” Grace is the perfect balance between both.

I wish you well.

Jasmine Kelly is a contributing writer for the Pedestal Project, LLC. Jasmine is a higher education professional who believes in the powers of Black Twitter. You can follow her on Instagram @chicomydusty.