Be Mindful

Anything you say, do, how you dress, anything you post online, etc. are all reflections of yourself and allow people to make snap judgments of your character. I have always been wary about things I post online because anything taken out of context can be completely misleading or once something is posted, it is permanent and meanings can be forgotten or changed with time. Something you post may be a joke between you and the other person, but it is out there for the whole world to read, and you never know what kind of conclusions people are going to draw. I am Facebook friends with a lot of people that I don’t ever see or hang out with, but I feel like I know a lot about their character based on the things they say online. I have no idea if my judgments are correct, but their actions are what lead me to assumptions. Pictures are also touchy, especially if they include alcohol. A picture of you holding a glass of wine may be a completely innocent fleeting moment, but the picture is frozen in time, and if there is more than one, then it can be  fabricated into a drunken adventure in an innocent mind.  I’m not sure if I explained the point I am trying to make clearly, but it is still something to think about.

It goes beyond the Internet. The other day I was working out in a t-shirt at school in a Fellowship of Christian Athletes, t-shirt which is a fellowship/leadership organization at my school, and a football coach approached me and said he knew what kind of woman I was because of that shirt. I was flattered, but what if I had been wearing something that sent a different, negative message? He would have most likely made a different snap judgment of my character. Or what if I had tripped and fallen and said something obscene? I could have tainted his vision of me as well as the organization that gave me that t-shirt .

You are a representative of not only yourself, but the business you work for, school you attend, and your family as well. The crowd you swing with is also a representative of you. Surround yourself with positive things and be a positive reflection of those you represent. Character is who you are when no one is watching. Don’t be fake, just be mindful of how you project yourself.