How often have you felt addicted to being, doing, and having “more”? To fill the need to be worthy, successful, or more awakened? All fuelled by the feeling that deep down, what you do, what you say, and who you are is “not good enough”?
This pressure to be “more” is only made worse by social media. It’s amplified 1,000-fold by the hyperconnectivity we experience day and night: notifications, pings, follows, likes, follows, comments, and the endless stream of filler content cluttering our screens and lives.
Before we know it, we’re stuck on the self-improvement treadmill fueled by FOMO (fear of missing out) and toxic comparison (“I suck compared to them”). All of this creates deep self-alienation and disconnection from ourselves.
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I feel this almost every time I go on social media. And it’s so automatic and subtle.
I recently entered the social media arena again after a 4-month hiatus as a way of finding more readers to support this work. Let me tell you, it’s chaos out there.
Within the space of 30 seconds, it’s not uncommon to see 7-8 ads, aspirational quotes, rage bait, beautiful people doing perfect yoga, dancing cats, aspirational memes, mala bead-wearing men making green smoothies, videos of people in exotic destinations … the list goes on.
The lesson here? Novelty sells. Negativity sells. “Be more than what you are” sells.
Simplicity and plainness don’t. It’s uncool, daggy, boring. This, in part, is why I believe we fear our own simplicity. We want to be loved and validated and interesting.
But what if we do a 360-degree turn and look at this differently?
What if living a “boring” and “simple” life is the antidote to a lot of our suffering and self-alienation?
In Nietzsche’s Zarathustra: Notes of the Seminar Given in 1934–1939, renowned psychiatrist (and let’s face it, mystic) Carl Jung says something powerful,
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Most people cannot bear simplicity. There are many simple and modest individuals who would be fine if they could be who they are, but they believe they should be something better, that they are not quite good enough; and so they begin to deck themselves out with feathers and whatnot to be great and astonishing. But they are only astonishing when they are simple.
Sounds like a scathing commentary and diagnosis of today’s social landscape, eh?
What I find particularly deep is the last line: they are only astonishing when they are simple.
We’re biologically wired to imitate each other to belong. Hence why places like social media are so addictive. Why “keeping up with the Joneses” is a thing.
But the one who chooses to stay simple, to be okay with their plainness, with their unadorned and bare self, is a true gem. That is what’s astonishing.
Simplicity is honesty. It is the most truthful way to be because you’re not adding anything to yourself. You’re defying society’s message to “do, be, and have more.” You’re defending your right to be your imperfect, flawed, sometimes boring, you.
It’s pretty damn punk if you ask me.
So this is a gentle message today, reminding you (and reminding myself), that it’s okay to be plain and simple. You don’t need to add anything to yourself to be lovable.
You are worthy just as you are.
Related reads:
- 8 Mindfulness Exercises For Anxious/Depressed Minds
- How to Love Yourself (No Bullsh*t Guide)
- How to Find Inner Peace in the Chaos (12 Deep Paths)
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Thank you! I needed to hear this today. I thought about people I follow who inspire me the most and realized they do very little to appear flashy or modern. They are themselves, and their personalities shine out to those of us ready to hear their wisdom.
Same here :) Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful 4 of Cups-card! I really like it, must be a beautiful deck!
As to the FOMO and all that’s going on on social media and all the comparison some (probably younger) folks fall for: It’s ‘much ado about nothing’. Nothing to miss, nothing that won’t have time untill the next day, hardly anything to react to and surely not immediately.
Easy for me as I didn’t grow up with the internet or social media. I can easily do without. I’m not used to it. I see my friends for real, we talk about everything rather than post anything anywhere. Why should we? There’s a whole lot of people out there who we do not know, but it’s the people we do know that matter. No harm acquainting new people, but we do exactly this almost every day. New co-workers, new people in the neighbourhood and so on. In a way that our still neandetal-mind is capable to process. Even if the technical possibilities provide it, we cannot grasp the full range of what is offered. So (to me) it’s wiser to keep it limited.
Always remember that you are unique! No need to compare, ’cause there’s always someone who’s ‘better’.
Thanks for sharing this, Sabine :)
The deck is the Illuminated Tarot by Carol Herzer
Stop ALL social media. Put it out as if it does not exist. You will be amazed how much your life changes for the better.
I’d love to do this, except it’s necessary for a lot of self-employed folks to distribute their work. One day though. ;)
You are so right. It’s not the people with all the razzmatazz that I remember with love in my heart, (no matter how amazing they seem to be) but those who never looked for attention. There are those in my past and in my present that I look to with love and gratitude because I was able to be with and learn from them, heart to heart. Thanks for the reminder that striving for self-improvement is not all its cracked up to be.
Thank you Marion 😊
Thank you for this important reminder. My word of the year is Authenticity, because I want to show up every day the most authentic version of myself I can be. I affirm that being simple is ok and I don’t have to give up who I am(boring, plain ok me) to be loved. I am already loved! And so are you.
Beautifully said, Crystal! Thank you 😊
Right on. Unhurried Living..
‘Make time to savor the simple moments in life.
Step outside without a destination.
Let your feet find their own rhythm.
Take walks not shaped by exercise or efficiency.
Notice the quiet conversations of birds,
the familiar beauty along paths you have always walked.
A slower pace asks for your presence.
It invites you to feel the day unfolding
instead of racing past it.
In slowing down,
you begin to hear your own thoughts more clearly,
and, sometimes,
the gentle hush beneath them.
There is a richness in unhurried living,
where time becomes a place you inhabit,
not something you hurry through.
When you choose to slow down,
you create space
for these moments
to find you.
~ by Spirit of a Hippie’
Beautifully written 💜 Thank you for sharing!
I, after years, have finally started standing for myself and believing at least in the personal life that I am enough. I allow myself to have whatever emotions I feel with acceptance and grace. I allow myself to “Be” whatever in the moment I am be it lazy, energetic, introvert, extrovert, etc. I’ve stopped for the most part apologizing for who and what I am and instead say to people that question that I am me and just because I am different does not make me weird or less than. Some have accepted and others have simply left which is ok and others try to guilt and bully and to them I say “f off”. I have been trying to help younger people I know do the same by simply validating their feelings and telling them to accept themselves. In my professional life however the bar is set, you must do x,y,z to be recognized and when I sieve, the bar is raised and I am told to meet it. Honestly I am getting really tired of this and within a year should meet all the new requirements and if the raise it again I will simply have to walk away, terrifying as that is.
Keep being true to yourself, LeAnn 💜
Hello Luna and Sol
Ever since I have nasal valve collapse, I have always disown my light constantly and can’t never stay wholly in my true nature for longer time. How not to disown your light while having bodily issues?
And now because I tried my best not to disown my light as much as I can, I also have issues with my menstruation. I can’t menstruate at all for more than 2 months. And the cause isn’t a physical one. But a spiritual one. I really have to can menstruate normally again. What is the best thing that I can do right now?
Your physical issues are best dealt with by a doctor, Lupin. Regardless of the state of your body, you can still care for your soul though. Search “soul” on this website and you will find many resources.
If you want help about menstrual issues, i can highly recommend to read the book by Dr Lara Briden. She is a Canadian Naturopath, had office in Sydney and now somewhere in New Zeeland. She specializes on this topic. Her book is called, the period repair manual. And tells you everything about period you need to know that regular Healthcare is not going to share with you. Please, consider reading the book for the sake of your own well being. Be well 🙏🏼
Hello Luna and Sol, actually the email about ‘Intuitive Spiritual Guidance for 2026’ is meant for me.
However, there is something that I need enough clarity on about.
‘Don’t let the inner child take over the reins. You are a self-sovereign individual with the power to choose your perception of reality. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.’
What does this mean exactly? And can you give me an example of this?
I would say: “Be annoying to others, but be the most amazing person you’ve ever met to yourself!”
I’ve never understood this obsession with following trends, rigid social roles, or chasing power. Why? Just to gain social approval from people who, in many cases, don’t truly care about us?
Nowadays, I see countless coaches and gurus trying to teach “how to be the most badass person in the world.” But what’s the real need for that? On the other hand, there are also those who sell another kind of approval: the one who swims completely against the current, seeking attention by being “the different one.”
The truth is, when you are yourself—without masks—you naturally draw attention in some way. But it’s not forced; it’s simply you being yourself among the crowd. As Aristotle once said: “Man is a social animal.” Yes, we are social beings; we don’t live entirely isolated from one another, because in some way we depend on others to know ourselves and to survive.
The problem is that the system we live in, exploiting this inherently human need within a mass-society context, has created mechanisms where approval from large numbers of people is seen as a sign of well-being. Thus, the culture of accumulation was born: likes, knowledge, consumption, personal stories, travels, and so on.
For those who just want to be themselves—especially introverts like me, who don’t crave the stage or the spotlight—you end up being labeled boring or uninteresting. Trivial questions like “Why don’t you do what everyone else is doing?”, “How come you’re not up to date with the latest news?”, “Didn’t you see what so-and-so posted on social media?” become more common than you’d expect. But what’s the real importance of that?
You become a junkie—yes, a social junkie. Perhaps that’s why, so often, being authentic and not chasing validation creates a paradox: you actually stand out more, you’re criticized more, you become the target of gossip and even envy, because you become scarce. Like gold: its value lies not in abundance, but in rarity.
That’s why both spiritual and energetic thieves want to strip away your value, your peace, your satisfaction, and your inner light.
“(…) As if I were walking slowly down the mountain, imagining I was climbing it. That’s exactly how it was. According to public opinion, I was ascending the mountain, while in reality life was leaving me (…)” — The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Tolstoy.
Beautifully articulated as always, Hans. I like the concept of “spiritual and energetic thieves.” It makes me think of leeches in nature or vampiric insects like mosquitos — if they exist in the ‘more than human world,’ why wouldn’t they also exist within our society? Within the tools we use or among the people we meet? This is not to create paranoia, only awareness. It’s the difference between naivety and maturity. Many things aren’t built for us or to help us. We’ve got to protect and defend our energy when necessary.
Thank you for your thought-provoking comment, Aletheia. I believe that spiritual leeches and mosquitoes — as well as paranoia itself — represent a rupture of balance, or rather, of the Buddhist middle way. When Carl Jung speaks of integrating the shadows, in my view, it is precisely this balance between light and shadow (the non-duality of Advaita) that constitutes the very etheric cohesion of Being. However, this disharmony, so present in people today, gives rise to the inner struggle akin to that between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman (as in Zoroastrianism). It is precisely because of this struggle that both energy vampires and spiritual thieves are beset by negative feelings such as resentment, hatred, envy, and so forth. This causes those who possess a greater predominance of balance, or even of light, to attract such individuals, who are utterly devoid of good feelings and resentful toward those who have them, “like crows to glitter”. That is why it is exceedingly important to protect ourselves from these harmful energies and to carry out our inner work, precisely so that we do not lose ourselves along our journey of spiritual evolution. I am deeply grateful for your philosophical-spiritual inquiry and questioning. Here I find resonance with many personal experiences that are not often approached with such seriousness.