We have all seen the posts where people look so happy and like things are going great.
Sometimes, we know when things are not going so great and that it is a post for show.
Other times, we don’t see through the post because even though we are friends, that person hasn’t shared their struggles with anyone. They are battling it alone.
I see it often and I realize that so many of us use social media to make our lives look great when in reality we are struggling through some dark times and just don’t want to be a burden to others or let others know that our life isn’t what they imagine it to be.
The problem with that is it becomes this dark cloud that gets bigger and bigger in our head. It takes over our happiness and sometimes gets to be bigger than we can handle.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
We need to stop faking happy and start being real. People connect over real things. The stories that aren’t so pretty. The days you don’t look your best. The times when you fall down and have to get back up.
Why do they connect over that? Because they have been there.
Don’t get me wrong, we connect in the happy times too. What I am saying though is that it is OK to show people you are human.
And just like when you are improving your physical health, don’t compare where you are to where someone else is. This competition isn’t with others, it is with yourself and how you can feel better each day than you felt the day before. Everyone is on a different journey in their mental health the same as their physical health. Your goals are yours alone. Let others support you and cheer you on, but don’t compare yourself and your own growth to someone else. You don’t know the inner work that person did or for how long to get to that place you think you should be.
We often feel alone in our struggles, but we do that to ourselves. People can’t help us when we are pretending that we are fine while our world crumbles around us.
I take time each day to be thankful for the blessings in my life. I think of my wonderful family and friends, my amazing clients that I get to work with, my pets that I love and get such joy from. I am grateful to have food on the table, a roof over my head and clothes on my back. I am grateful for clean water and opportunities that others may not have. I’m grateful for amazing friends that I can be real with and turn to, and that know they can also do the same with me.
These moments of reflection make my heart warm. I remember all the times that people have helped me when I needed it without me having to ask for it. All the times someone knew me well enough to be able to see I wasn’t OK even when I was trying to be. I remember all the “angels” in my life that have come through and just seen my soul in times that it was so dark I couldn’t even find a flashlight to find the path myself. I remembered the light that they shone for me to help me along and I hope that I can be that same light and love in someone else’s life that needs it.
So in conclusion, I want to ask you to try to bring more “real” to life. And I will do the same. Let’s share the struggles, ask for help and support each other. And let’s celebrate together and find joy in life together and support each other then too…knowing that it was well deserved.