Lately I’ve been struggling with a discomfort that usually shows up when I’m on social media and I see others “live their best lives”. It’s like there’s this subtle but powerful weight of comparison that settles deep in my heart by simply looking at other people’s lifestyles and achievements.

Why does a simple post about a concert, a trip, or a flex immediately translate to falling short and getting left behind? Since when have I allowed myself to believe the lie that my worth is attached to my online identity?

Social media surely has its pros, but I don’t recall a time when I actually felt joy or peace after scrolling through my feed. What I found to be true, at least with me, is that it seems to be frustration, bitterness, and even jealousy that surface instead.

I honestly despise myself every time these ill feelings come up because I question why I can’t be content with what I have and where I am at. It’s easy for us to judge ourselves in these moments, but I realized that all of this is inevitable when we live in a world where there’s always something new, higher, and bigger to chase after. It’s a world and era that’s made it so much more difficult to stay content.

This was a painful truth I had to grapple with over the past weeks, and a big heart-check about what my soul truly longs for in this broken world—a world where productivity, wealth, and status are celebrated, but where stillness, slowness, and rest are despised.

It’s hard to find meaning in a season of deep inner work and character development when your external world is like this. We tend to disregard the simple but profound moments of growth, our little breakthroughs, and our daily progress from simply showing up for ourselves.

Maybe it’s a question of desire. When our desires point toward the world and its fleeting treasures, we will never truly be satisfied; but when they point towards something greater and far beyond what this world has to offer, maybe that’s where we find peace. For me, I found it in Jesus. Without a deeper sense of purpose, these desires will simply end up debilitating us and making us anxious. In the darkest parts of my soul, I found God, and I found that true freedom and peace only comes from putting my full faith in Him.

Ultimately, it’s an unlearning. Now that I have a better understanding of my God-given purpose, do these earthly desires still resonate with me? Are there desires that I need to grieve and leave behind? Am I ready to embrace a slow, uneventful, but purposeful life?

I recently joined a table event where I got to hear and have conversations with older and wiser men and women. One of the things we talked about that really stuck with me is, “Slow is fast.” It’s such a bold statement considering how opposite it is to what the world believes, but it also prompts us to make a choice. Will you succumb to the ways of the world or will you set yourself apart? Will you keep running after what’s out there in the world or allow yourself to slow down?

The struggle is real. Living in 2024 and in the era of social media could really drain the life out of you, but there is hope when we intentionally pause, embrace vulnerability, and come face to face with the wretchedness of our humanity.

Slow is fast. It’s in the slow and gentle moments when our souls become truly authentic. It’s in these moments when we uncover the ugliest truths about ourselves, but it’s also when we learn to find hope and happiness even in the deepest corners of our hearts. It’s in these moments when we become far less concerned about “doing”, and instead focus on “becoming”.

When I embraced the slow life, I also finally had more intentional time carved out for my people. It’s in these safe spaces with them where I got to express my illest feelings and sins without judgement, and where I learned to accept my brokenness and eventually find God.

It’s a lifelong process they say. While we are still in this broken world, there will always be struggles and pain. It’s only when we slowly walk along the path of our true purpose in life that we move closer towards true joy and contentment.

When you find yourself resonating with what I wrote here, but feel alone with no one to share your thoughts and feelings with, I hope you know that you can start a conversation with me via my “Ask” section on my homepage or you can also reach out to me on my social media channels below. My heart for this blog is to start and open conversations like these and I assure you of a safe space in me.

Let’s all heal and grow together, slowly and steadily, one day at a time.