According to Urban Dictionary the Floridian slang term "cap" is "the act of lying, giving false hope," and while you hear a lot of people via social media use terms like "that's cap" rarely are people acknowledging the very cap within their own lives.

Now, before this starts airing as a soapbox, please let me just say that I'm only writing this because I've noticed the "cap" within my own life and as I'm trying to authentically express myself I figured for what it's worth I'd open up my thoughts for further critique. So shall we delve?

Lately, I've been perceiving social media as both a gift and a curse. I say gift because it's affording people an opportunity and platform to become their greatest selves. I say this with skepticism because some could argue that such a weighted opportunity could become a person's detriment. And while social media is the apple that hasn't fallen far from it's mothering tree "media" I do believe that many people are utilizing their platforms to enhance their lives in ways that one in the past wouldn't consider dreaming of.

"So what's the issue?" you ask.

Well, the issue arises when we "the consumers of this blessing and curse" begin to let our personal tendencies to "cap" flare. These flare-ups are as nasty as any symptom of one's gravest disease because it's the result of needing social acceptance.
In more common terms, "capping" is the epitome of people pleasing! It's the highest height in which one will go for social acceptance. It's the suicidal act of no longer allowing yourself the honor to showcase your most authentic self.
It's the last dose of pride that comes before one's fall because as we're all harmlessly using our social platforms to exhibit our "best selves" living our "best lives" we're often times forgetting the great responsibility that accompanies being social.

The responsibility to connect, nurture, and encourage.

You see, connectivity is the greatest gift we've ever been provided. It's our inherited right as human beings. To be able to transparently share, and shamelessly engage with one another is how we sustain our livelihood. It's how we create a chain reaction of growth in all facets.

And it's sadly stifled each and every time we "cap" for one another. Each and every time we share our highs and bury our lows, every single time we boast on our win's without accounting for the many loses that occurred before.
Our inherited right is dismissed every time we provide"false hope" rather than showing the bruises and scars that it may take to succeed. When you really consider the ways we in which we as a society utilize social media as a method to save face, you begin to see some of the cursed ways, in which these platforms divide us.

As a passionate yet empathetic person, I've noticed that I tend to approach everything in my life with great conviction. I'm talking about an immense amount of pride here, so as I began to create content in 2015 I obviously approached my opportunities to share via social media with great zeal.

I'd upload and wait for comments to and likes to flood in and although I've never knowingly perpetrated myself to be something that I couldn't provide offline, the pressures of wanting to go viral or gain social acceptance began to tempt my integrity.
It wasn't until I begin to notice the influence that social media had (and in many ways still has) on my mind that I began to question why I was pushing myself to overthink, over-tweak and question the content that I was once so proud to create.

The temptation to cap is always and will continue to be present. Why? Because it speaks to our honest need for acceptance. And while there's nothing wrong with wanting acceptance I caution you to take note of just how bad you desire such and how far you'll go to get it.

If you begin to notice that the amount of followers or like you have is determining your worth. Or if you realize that the lack of retweets is causing you to second-guess your truths I urge you to step back from the platform and reassess its influence. I ask that you take some time and diligently dig deep within to discover what and how you really perceive yourself and your journey. I encourage you to share your thoughts with those around you and begin to practice engaging in "real" time.

Practice connecting to the tangible influences around you, practice nurturing and encouraging one another. Take the baby steps towards getting comfortable in your skin, do the hard work to rid yourself of your shame and begin to own those loses.
Share the pain boldly, wear your redemption story like the badge it is and use your platform to remind your followers that although everything it isn't always gold, your essence is still shining.

There's no reason to be a cheap carbon copy of yourself when we're (the rest of humanity) aching to engage with the authentic you.

So be your campaign manager and #StopCapping2018.