#ChallengeAccepted, Dare To Really Challenge?

Challenge Status Quo! DARE TO REALLY CHALLENGE?

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#challengeaccepted By now, everyone has seen an overwhelming amount of people embrace this challenge & show their support towards other women, and that is hella great!

BUT, the disheartening part about it is that the real intent and message behind it was completely lost in translation because we are so conditioned to simply accept what many are doing and sign up for it, no further questions asked #herdmentality

Oh, there’s something trending let me get in on it without taking 2 minutes to actually pause, question, ‘Google’ before I do.

How many took the time to look up the real meaning before posting a photo (not after the fact)? and how many posted a follow-up pic to clarify the real message? #whenyouknowbetterdobetter

Sadly, even that has gone viral with extremely contradicting versions of its real origin and meaning and I am honestly left wondering what the real intent behind this hashtag campaign even was!?

I got a lot of flak for sharing my opinion on stories, honestly, that doesn’t bother me, not one bit, but what does bother me is how limiting those beliefs are!

While I know and of course get the intention behind the trending hashtag(s), not everything is an IG trend and none of it is any real use only if embraced for a day or two and then forgotten!

Women/humans supporting and empowering each other needs to happen every damn day, hell, I would know, building a business wouldn’t happen without it, both on the receiving and giving end.

But hey, here’s a question?

How often do we simply scroll past someone’s post without engaging whatsoever, even though we truly like their content (but only in our head because it’s too much ego to actually like/comment/share? or is being a lurker far more satisfying?).

Or is that not considered as supporting & empowering others?

Actions speak louder than any hashtag/trend/image/words.

When will we ever get that?

Oh 2020, YOU are such an eye-opener!

And below is an excerpt by mashable, I couldn’t have said it any better —

If you really want to wade in, assess why you feel the need to and if doing so will actually help anyone. But you can also just swipe out of Instagram and go sign a petition or make a donation or learn something new about an issue that’s important to you. (Mashable has a very helpful guide on how to be an effective ally if you want to start right now.) You don’t even have to tell anyone you’re doing it! 

All of this performative selfie allyship and subsequent bickering is petty and tiring, and the end result is to drive us down deeper into our individual tunnels of numbness. So the next time you see all your friends jumping on a hashtag bandwagon, take a deep breath and then just… don’t. 

Then take the little pile of energy you’ve saved and turn your attention to taking the actual #2020challenge: Doing the work to fight for real change!

Namaste,

Kusum