This will probably sound a bit dodgy, more like the punchline of a joke, but lately I’ve been finding truth– yes truth–on Facebook. Now, I know what you’re thinking, I either have to be delusional or very easily duped. But deepfake ai images aside, I really mean it. Little snippets of truth and beauty seem to fill up my feed.
But let’s back up a little. Perhaps I should start with the sleep stories. Throughout the past year, I’ve been listening to meditation hypnoses before going to sleep, essentially 15 minute audios that put me in a deep state of relaxation, give me sound advice and then either wake me back up or send me off to sleep. I don’t listen every night, sometimes I stop using them for weeks, and about three months ago, I discovered the sleep stories in my app, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
So what are sleep stories? According to the ones I listen to, “Sleep stories are immersive and soothing narratives designed to help you relax, unwind, and fall asleep more easily.” And the one I’ve been falling asleep to lately begins “in the Whispering Woods” with “a gentle soul named Maya…a seeker of truth and beauty…” which brings me back to Facebook.
Somehow, I’ve managed to train Facebook to show me things that mostly bring me joy, minus the dodgy ad, sponsored videos or heart wrenching fundraiser for animals in need. My feed is now filled with funny cat and dog jokes, beautiful interiors reminiscent of book stores, before and after home renovations and lots and lots of stunning illustrations and paintings, usually seasonal, and sometimes with soul searching quotes, of which I’ve been keeping a list.
I’ve told you before that I’m mainly taking snapshots these days with my iphone, nothing new there, but sometimes I’ll come across a quote that will make me think of a photo I’ve recently taken. Here are a few I’ve matched up recently. I hope you find the connections too.
“I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.” – Emily Dickinson
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl
“There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you… In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter…can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.” – Ruth Stout
“When you do something beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle, and yet most of the audience still sleeps.” — John Lennon
Keep taking time for yourself until you’re you again. -Lalah Delia
“I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I’m going to believe that the best does.” — L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.” — Louisa May Alcott
“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” — Dalai Lama
Yes, I know, I know, it’s all a little bit like cliché bumper sticker wisdom, tumblr meets goodreads, but I like it. Bundle all the goodness up in the world and send it my way. And if you have a favorite Facebook page with quotes and dogs and funny cats and pretty art, well, send that my way too.
