Although I have been blogging for years & use the internet for many things, research, connecting to others & enjoyment, I am astounded by the growing number of ‘influencers’ who now dominate social media platforms. From make-up tips, decorating your home, life coaches & what to wear they all seem to have a common theme of you too can look & feel this way, just buy these things. I understand the desire to recreate a look or feel good is the driving force behind this, but I often wonder what’s the motivation to spending money & expend the energy to recreate someone else’s style & look? Why wouldn’t someone come up with their own unique look & style? Isn’t the quest for self expression the fun part?

Society has shifted from the more formal days of my childhood when people dressed their best everyday, compared to the sweats, tee-shirts & flipflop era of today. Have we forgotten how to dress nicely & decorate our homes? Is dressing up & having pretty things exclusive to social media influencers & celebrities? Why do we need someone else to tell us how to look our best when we know that this is their business? Our homes are our refuge, so shouldn’t we be decorating them with things we love versus what someone else likes?

As a philanthropist, it is challenging that the engagement with our charity work falls upon deaf ears & blind eyes compared to make up tips & buy these things posts I see daily. It seems basic to me that helping others is more important than the clothes we wear or the accessories we place in our homes, but I have learned that is not so.

I believe that happiness is a self fulfilling exercise. When you are comfortable in your own life you can spread that joy to others & live your life accordingly. I will always be fascinated & perplexed by the motivation that drives people to interact & support others, be it a charity, business or influencer. I am a student of these times & would love to ‘crack the code’ to make whole hearted support of charities & the small businesses that work with them the new age of ‘influencers’. I would love to see my Instagram feed full of the programs, pictures & people who from their kitchen tables, are making & difference & changing the lives of others.

I am always on a quest to learn more. This brave new world of social media has brought me closer to like minded philan-preneurs from across the country & for that I am extremely grateful. Together, we are working together to ‘crack the code’ & to make the philanthropist & small businesses of the country the driving force behind all the like, follows, views & support them all.