I recently tuned in to a video on YouTube uploaded by a card reader I follow. In it, she talked about noticing a growing number of dislikes on her videos, and she was curious as to why that might be. She had said she wanted the people disliking her videos to at least leave some form of feedback along with the dislike.

As I watched the video, I felt for her. I felt for her because I could relate.

When I committed myself to making weekly Tarot reading videos, I had no idea that being on YouTube—actually being on all forms of social media—would become such a spiritual teacher.

For me, when I committed to walking a spiritual path, I knew that every opportunity and experience was meant to serve my personal growth and development. And, I’ve learned, social media is no exception.

Maybe you’re like me and the card reader I mentioned, in that you’re on social media, in part, to share your spiritual business with the world. If so, I’d like to share some things with you I’ve learned, based on my own experiences.

The Platform: It Is What It Is

I’ve learned that being on social media platforms is like renting space with a landlord. When you’re on any social media platform, you’re basically agreeing to the terms and conditions of the lease agreement you have with the landlord. And those terms and conditions are always subject to change—and they do.

Know that going in.

For instance, the card reader on YouTube knows that the platform is set up for people to like and dislike videos. The right is given for people to dislike a video. Those people aren’t required to give a reason; I actually think that’s part of the appeal, in that they can remain anonymous in doing so.

Also, from what I understand, YouTube looks at all forms of engagement as “good.” The idea is that likes and dislikes, as well as positive and negative comments, mean one thing: people are watching the videos. And YouTube bases everything on watch time—that’s it.

Don’t Let the Numbers Define You

Social media consultants, specialists and gurus will tell you that the numbers of views, likes, and shares are about “social proof,” and that’s true to some extent. But I’ve also heard these numbers referred to as “vanity metrics.”

From a spiritual perspective, the numbers do not define who you are, what your business is about, and the value and worth of your work—unless you let them. There’s a saying that “numbers don’t lie,” but they can if you allow them to distort your self-image, your sense of self-worth, and the value of your work.

If you look at the numbers and they are on the high side, you could develop an exaggerated sense of self; if they run on the low side, you could internalize them as a lack of worth and value about yourself and the work you’re doing.

And neither would be true.

Not Everyone Will “Like” You

Boy, did I learn this one. The first time I got a dislike/thumbs down on one of my YouTube videos, you would’ve thought the world was coming to an end. Seriously. I was hurt—deeply—that someone not only wouldn’t like a video—but would actually let me know it.

On the other side of the hurt was the lesson: Not everyone will like what I do. My work as a card reader won’t be everyone’s cup of tea—and I just have to accept that. That’s the beauty of having so many card readers in the world; I’ve learned that there are people who will resonate with my style of reading, and find how I read both helpful and meaningful.

The other thing I learned is this: As you step out and become more visible (getting seen, in all its forms), you will encounter more people who will not resonate with you (on social media, it will show up as dislikes, negative comments, unfollows, and unsubscribes). Abraham, the teachers of the Law of Attraction, call this phenomena “contrast.” It’s going to happen—and it’s all designed to do a work in you, meaning to teach you lessons about yourself you need to learn.

Just as you want your audience and tribe to grow, you have to grow to meet them.

Don’t Let the “Haters” Take Up Headspace

This is my new favorite term: Taking up headspace. And again, this one came from experience.

You know the term “the one that got away,” right? Okay. I remember early on, with my Facebook pages, especially, that I would get so caught up when someone “unliked” my page and stopped following me. I’d turn it over and over in my head, wondering why, much like the card reader I mentioned earlier with her video dislikes.

At one point, I realized I was giving way too much of my headspace to these people. I was never going to know why they disliked a video, or chose to unfollow or unsubscribe. Never.

The lesson is so 5 of Cups, from the Tarot. The card talks about being mired in disappointment over something lost, but it also talks about making a shift—a pivot—toward what remains.

So, for me, I had to learn to shift my focus from the one that “left the building” to the ones that are still occupying the premises.

And like the Law of Attraction says, “What you focus your attention on grows.”

What’s the Story?

While the other points are important, this one is the real deal. Every experience is getting you to examine the story you have around it.

I can’t speak for my fellow card reader about her dislikes, but for me, getting that first dislike—just like those unfollows and unsubscribes—brought up my old story about wanting to be liked, as well as the need I had for approval and validation.

And when I didn’t get that need met, I spun the story that I sucked, that my work sucked, and that it had no sense of worth and value. What I was really saying was that I had no worth and value. Woof! Talk about a pain point coming up!

But, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it allowed me to see that I had some work to do in healing an old wound. A wound around my sense of significance.

So, if you’re getting hung up on social media, consider its deeper, spiritual significance, and the story it might be getting you to revise.

Celebrate Your Progress

And finally, know when you’re making progress—and celebrate it.

Case in point: I came across this meme with a quote by Tony Gaskins: “You know you’ve changed when what would once make you mad, now makes you laugh.”

There’s a saying that “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” Well, this meme was my teacher, in light of what happened right after.

I recently posted my latest weekly Tarot reading video. I had received some comments I wanted to respond to about it, so I had to go over to YouTube. And after several weeks of no dislikes—there it was–a thumbs down–for this week’s video.

My response? I had a good laugh about it. And that’s how I knew I was making progress with this whole social media thing—and seeing it as the spiritual teacher it can be.

Over To You

How about you? Are you running your own spiritual business and using social media to help others become more aware about your work? What’s been your greatest spiritual lesson through your social media presence?

If you feel comfortable commenting, let me know. I would love to hear the stories of your spiritual shifts with social media.

 

 

 

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