I have a question for you: Have you ever thought of Instagram, as your ‘invisible life guru’?
Now before you call me crazy… Hold on and let me explain.
You see some gurus are SO good, that they can teach you life lessons, without ever sounding patronizing, boring or predictable. They can silently guide you in the right direction, help you focus on what’s important and above all remind you to always stay true to yourself. And that’s exactly what Instagram does, even if we don’t always realize it.
Our favorite platform is constantly evolving, changing and innovating. Hello Instagram Updates!
Instagram keeps us on our toes, pushes our limits and even manages to uncover our hidden talents. It also teaches us to prioritize what’s important, stay true to who we are (yep, *authenticity* is kind of a big deal on Instagram) and stay consistent in everything we do.
A decade ago, all of us were in a different place. Today, we wake up to half of the world (from lawyers, to doctors & industrial giants) dancing, lip-syncing, acting and performing, as if they are a part of a Broadway show. Thanks to Instagram, people in any profession can rise to the level of super stars, push their business forward, increase their sales, global reach and impact - all by embracing these new and creative ways of online marketing.
Just think of yourself posting stories, creating Instagram posts and writing captions. ALL of it requires tons of creativity & learning new skills. And next to that, we still have: REELS - short-form videos that are pushing us to evolve even faster, become even more creative (whether on- or off camera) and at the same time, combine that with strategic thinking.
At My Rising Jungle, we truly believe that every human being on this planet, including YOU, is multi-talented, just like Leonardo Da Vinci. Yet sometimes we forget who we are and how many treasures we have hiding within us.
In order to remember all that we can be, we need to discover these treasures and one of the ways to do so is by trying NEW things (even if that feels uncomfortable).
THE STORY OF THE GOLDEN BUDDHA
There’s a beautiful story, I always think of when we talk about the treasures within.
Many years ago, in Thailand, there was a village. And in that village was a temple with a huge statue of a Golden Buddha. As an army was about to invade this village, the monks decided to protect the Buddha and covered it up with layers of mud & concrete. For many years, the army occupied the village. And after a long time, no one remembered that the Buddha was actually golden on the inside. Until one day, decades later, a little piece of mud chipped off and a young monk saw a tiny piece of gold shining through it. That’s when everyone started hammering at the statue, realizing how precious it actually was.
And that’s one of my favorite metaphors: each of us is GOLDEN by nature. Yet somehow we forget about it, believing that we are the stone Buddha - not the golden one. As children, we dare to laugh out loud, express our emotions, ask for what we want, sing and dance whenever we feel like it. Then we learn how we ‘have to’ act, often losing a part of our spontaneity, creativity and the shine within.
And that’s exactly where Instagram comes in. While most of us don’t realize it - Instagram challenges you to re-discover your creative side, it shows you that it’s ok to be ‘silly’ from time to time and it encourages you to share your true personality with the world.
The constant changes and updates Instagram goes through are teaching us to be flexible, adaptable and to EMBRACE CHANGE. Because let’s face it, change is the only constant these days and especially as a business owner - if you don’t embrace change as a part of life and doing business, you will be left behind.
The faster we are able to adapt, the better equipped we are for the ever changing world we live in. So thank you for the lessons, Instagram!
The way we see it, Instagram is nothing but a reflection of the real world. It carries the same principles and supports the same values. Who you are offline, will always manifest online. People will feel your energy and see the value you and your business provide.
It is NOT a number’s game, although it might seems so from time to time, but don’t let that fool you. The amount of followers doesn’t necessarily give you results. But focusing on quality, having authentic conversations with your followers and sharing your thoughts, your brand values and beliefs - will create a BIG IMPACT for you and your business, on Instagram and beyond. As you will win hearts, make friends and attract amazing clients along the way.
Here’s to YOU - discovering your Golden Buddha within and using Instagram as a tool to grow. Grow your business, your skills, your revenue and raise your confidence levels in the process!
So, here are the 3 main life lessons we learned from Instagram & are truly grateful for:
1. Change is the only constant
2. Always stay true to yourself & keep discovering the treasures within
3. Always prioritize QUALITY over quantity
I’m curious to know - what’s the main lesson YOU've learned from using Instagram?
Comment below or send us a DM. We’d love to hear from you!
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