Words are things.

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important,” the woman reminded the little girl. A black woman working as a maid in the pre-civil rights South, Aibileen Clark understood better than most that self-worth is an inside job. Years later, she would admonish a girl for indulging in negative self-talk, advising the bullied teen: “ugliness grows up from the inside.” The movie The Help showed us that “change begins with a whisper.” Today’s post is prompted by a grizzly foray into IG. Beauty influencers trashing fitness mavens about hair extensions. Insults about a child racially dissimilar from her happy adoptive mom. What motivates people to spend time being mean to strangers?

I don’t know what hair has to do w exercise or why “Proud mama of 3❤️Child of God” felt compelled to throw shade on a woman excited to give a child a forever home. What I know: Words are like jello. When we hurl them at people, it’s impossible to gather them up. They splatter on impact and leave marks behind.
The bright side? We have control over our words, their impact. Let’s use them as tools to build, not destroy. 🤓3 Tips to Craft Social Media Comments that Add Value, Not Clutter!

1. ✏️What’s my intention? If nothing comes to mind, re-channel your energy:
Go for a run or help your neighbor rake leaves. Let emotions settle before commenting. Reactions are the anti-christ to clarity!
2. ✏️Can I stand behind this comment tomorrow or next year or if my mom or my kids read it?! If not, either: return to #1 OR do some research. Place words on others’ feed as you might decorate your home: thoughtfully, sparingly.
Respect others’ space: Don’t be a clutter-bug! Talking about X in a post on Y is like hanging a Dégas painting in a man cave. It makes no sense.
3. ✏️Does my comment add value? Share stuff that’s useful or meaningful to the post. If not, return to #1. (See how that intention thing is at the heart of all this?! 😉)

pLoThoughts™ on…

Our humanness makes us stewards of these “things.” So post and comment as if these things were your superpower- as if they could uplift, heal and transform- because they are and they can. And because “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”