It has been quite a while since these fingers have started typing ready to post something to this little space of the world wide web I call mine (although it's actually Bloggers). I wish I could say I had to dust the keyboard before typing this, but for anyone that knows me they know this is certainly not the case. In fact, over the last few months I feel like I've spent my life with my seemingly new boyfriend Mr. Acer and his children Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail. 


A year ago I started a business called Getting Social in which I designed and helped businesses run their Facebook pages to better meet the needs of their fans since Facebook is/was taking over the world. I did it for a family "friend" and she suggested I start my own page and get to work because she knew so many that could use the services I was offering. It started out great; I had a full client list and clients on a waiting list waiting for me to make their pages...and that's when it went downhill. 


Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had to create for some amazing women and businesses. What some of these businesses owners went through on a daily business I would cringe at and simply couldn't imagine. I thought I just had the best clients in the world (this was the blissfully ignorant stage). I had never dealt with a customer that wasn't completely satisfied by the job I had done or the communication, etc. Naturally, I thought I had a pretty good system. 


I was wrong.


During this process I was also taking a full load of classes during my Freshman year at the University that I dreamed of going to since I was little. UA doesn't seem like a dream school but once if you visited, you'd understand...or most people do anyway. Bottom line: I took on more than I could handle and wasn't giving 100% to anything I was doing. I started getting unsatisfied customers, bad grades, and just overall incredibly stressed which wasn't pleasant for anyone.


Since then, I've closed down that "little business" because it was too much for one person that was taking classes and also working another part time job. People think I'm crazy for shutting down a business that was thriving but it was what was best for me and the point I am at in my life. 


I said all that to say, here recently I've realized how much time I have spent with Mr. Acer over the last year. It took away from schoolwork, family time, and from time I could have been spending possibly getting into a relationship that didn't involve a hard drive to work. This past week I deactivated my Facebook and I can not tell you how liberating it has been! I've found the joys in things I didn't even know I was missing. I've found I have much more time to focus on things I need to focus on like schoolwork and many of the other organizations I am involved in on campus. Not to mention, I have more time to write about the things I enjoy, learn new things like how to cook all these delicious looking recipes (thank you Pinterest), and enjoy the time with family and friends that God has blessed me with. 


A co-worker and one of my best friends asked me how I stay connected with everyone and I told her it was simple, because everyone that I talk to on a normal basis calls me on the phone, texts me, or will tweet me if they really need me. I just had no need for the crazy stalker page anymore that gave people information on me I would rather them just assume ask me personally anyway. 


So here's my challenge...deactivate your Facebook. Take it off your phone. Log out. See how many times in a week you think about wanting to log on and tally those up. At the end of the week look at how many times you resisted and think about how much time that could have been put towards something else that might have a little more meaning. 


I look forward to getting back into the swing of things. 


Roll Tide and God Bless,
The Bama Chick