Choose Happiness by Choosing to Be Real, Not Trying to Appear Perfect
Reminders For Why Being Authentic Wins
We live in a world of images: the perfect couple, the greatest vacation, the success of others. These images fill our media, not to mention our minds. It seems like some people have it all together and never struggle. The illusion that nothing bad happens to them is easier to create through the stories they choose to share.
Social media is perhaps one of the biggest proponents of the highlight reel. It’s where we see a friend succeeding in goal crushing,but not the backstory of how long it took to get there. We see the happiness moments with friends or family but don’t know what happened before that photo was taken (for better or worse).
We have been programmed to brag on our accomplishments but ignore any setback publicly. We want to belong and to have the adoration for our best selves. We refuse to let others in on the ugly, gory parts of our lives for fear of rejection.
The Beauty of Sharing the Whole Story
The stories we share in a balance of positive and negative encourages genuine engagement.
Your story will help you connect to others. It will lead to finding people who are going through what you are going through. It leads to accountability and deeper friendships. It also leads to more freedom as you allow yourself to be real and not always on the highlight reel.
In your struggles and weak points, you can inspire others to keep going and not give up. You can provide encouragement and real life examples of how you faced your hardest challenges. People connect with stories and are more likely to enjoy your work.
Remember Who Your Real Competition Is
We naturally envy those who seem to have it all together or seem to be further ahead than we are. We forget that comparison is not a legit factor in examining what is real as far as our own goals.
We don’t know their whole story. We don’t know what led to their success. Comparison only damages how we see our own journey and our thoughts on our progress.
The only real competition is who you were yesterday and who you are today. What have you learned about the process or project? Apply those lessons to get better.
Conclusion
Letting go of the need to appear perfect frees us. It allows us to be real and authentic, which will attract the right people into our lives. Everyone struggles with something and no one is perfect. Be one of the few brave souls willing to show that. Also, please don’t compare your page 1 or 5 with someone else’s chapter 10. It won’t work except to discourage. Focus on your own journey and what you’re working on now. That’s where growth will happen.
