Down with Snarck!

(Click the image above to download the e-book)

I started working on this e-book a few weeks ago, when I had this day where I felt this sort of…exhaustion with snarcky behavior. I was looking around and seeing stuff that didn’t sit well with me, seeing these “join in on the snarck” discussions and those didn’t feel good, yet I noticed that those who did/do speak out amidst those snarcky discussions often stand out as not going along with the group, not being cool enough. This is related to my post on how disheveled is not a credential, and this thing that happens where distinguishing oneself as part of one group becomes making the other group “bad.” I noticed that I felt that same tired feeling from high school (and, frankly, junior high), thinking that I felt bad for whomever was being talked about and wondering if it was me and feeling the unease and mistrust that gets cultivated during these conversations.

When could we all just relax and be ourselves and not worry that someone else was going to pop off some snarcky comment?

Though of course, I’m a reasonably smart cookie and knew that if I was getting triggered around this behavior then–dum, duh dum-dum…it is behavior that I either exhibit myself already or am afraid of exhibiting or have exhibited in the past and still feel bad about.

In my case, it’s all three. I still catch myself popping off snarcky comments. I know it’s mean and want to never do it again, so I’m afraid of doing it again. I have done it in the past and still feel bad about that (sometimes. I work on forgiveness, too).

So what would have started off as a book that was this burning condemnation of snarckiness everywhere ended up turning into admitting not only where I’ve gone wrong (way wrong!) with participating in snarcky behavior, but also with sharing a vision that I have for creating community that is not about that. With accepting people for who they are and where they are at. With holding space for one another during difficult times. With committing to disagreeing about behavior but not snarckin’ it up at someone else’s expense.

I have this idea that if more people started thinking that way, the world would start to feel like an easier place to navigate. What about you? Are you down with that? ;)

P.S. It’s E-Book week, I’ve decided. Each day this week I’ll be sharing an e-book with you here, so bounce back to the blog each day to download and read any that you might have missed.

P.S.S. Speaking of wanting to create a great community, check out The Courageous Year (registration closes this week!) to create some lovely community of your own, and check out who’s already in the mix to share their wisdom!