I have been focusing a lot on authenticity. I think it is an important area of focus, and we should be intentional with our actions. There has always been a part of me that thought I needed to show up a certain way. Generally, this certain way was based on the expectation of someone else. Often times this didn’t feel authentic to me. I have spent the better part of 6 months really identifying what is true for me and what is not. What I have noticed is there are parts of me that I have developed based on another individuals desire, just like I have buried certain parts of my personality because I have tried to squeeze myself into a mold made by someone else.
If I have learned anything from Darren (and I have learned many things) its that this life is ours and I am meant to be unapologetically me. He saw through the curtains I had assembled and helped me take them down. He saw the real me before I even knew it existed. He has helped me blossom so I can be my truest self. The comparison game is the perfect potion of disappointment. If you compare your life to someone else’s you are sure to feel as though you need to be in the same boat, when this is far from true. There is always something that seems more developed in someone else’s life vs. yours. There is no sense robbing your happiness by thinking you’re not as far along as you should be in life. Be present, be authentic, and show up as your truest self.
If I spent my time comparing myself to others I definitely wouldn’t be blogging. I could have come up with a million and one excuses as to why I couldn’t blog, or put unnecessary pressure on myself in order to show up like every other blogger. The thing about it is, thats not authentic to me. I am still developing the style of this blog, and I feel most comfortable posting content when I want to, not when I think I should. Blogging is a hobby, its a creative outlet, and its a place for me to share. I don’t want to take the joy out of it for myself, and in this particular season of life, blogging once and while is what suits me best.
The point of this post is to encourage you to embrace your own identity. Try to avoid comparing yourself to others, and do the things that feel right in your heart. I know at times it can be hard to not compare, especially when often times social media is the highlight reel of ones life. No one wants to post about their hard days, or when they just aren’t feeling themselves. There is a preconceived notion that we have to show up ‘put together’. Well, I am here to tell you this is false. The thing about showing up when you don’t FEEL like you’re at your best is it puts you in a vulnerable position, and we fear letting people in. As if, no one else on this planet has a hard day, or is some how always ‘put together’. Now read that sentence out loud… how ridiculous does that sound? Everyone has off days, and its really NOT necessary to put pressure on yourself to be ‘perfect’. Lets be perfectly imperfect together.
This is your permission to show up however you see fit, in whatever way feels authentic to YOU. This is allows you to not bend to meet someone else’s standards. So in the spirit of AUTHENTICITY, I am going to share some fun facts about my TRUEST SELF.
Here we go:
-I love pyjamas and I feel most comfortable wearing these while I am home.
-I don’t love jeans, I wear them less than once a month. I mostly wear comfortable clothing, I feel my best when I wear yoga pants.
-I don’t like loud music. Depending on the genre, it can at times hurt my ears. I can also easily get overwhelmed in noisy atmospheres, because honestly I just don’t love constant, loud noise, so I prefer music at a lower level.
-I dislike clubbing, or bar hopping. Once in a while I don’t mind sipping a beverage in a pub but it has to be the right place.
-I get stressed out eating a peoples homes for the first time because I know I can be frustrating to feed. (I have many food allergies)
-I don’t like traveling alone.
-I hate busy parking lots, and I refuse to park at the spots closest to the door, I will 100% park at the very back every single time.
-I don’t have a ton of patience, but this is something I work on everyday.
-I don’t like baking, I find having to measure everything perfectly too tedious.
-I will only reverse stall park the truck. To me, it makes more sense to back in than back out.
-I am a very sensitive person, and I feel things very deeply. I have come to learn this is something to be grateful for.
Although this may be just a glimpse into who I am, and this is also a very random list of facts, they are still parts of me. What matters is that I love myself, and Darren loves me too. How I choose to live my life, and how I choose to show up is up to me. I may not be everyones cup of tea, but I remind myself often I am not responsible for anyone else’s thoughts, feelings, or actions besides my own.
Darren and I are motivated to live our life on our terms, and always follow what feels right in our hearts. We make an excellent team when it comes to living this wild and crazy life, and we are continuously striving to live it as authentically as possible.
So this is your reminder to go out, and DO YOU. Be 100% unapologetically you, and I am here to support you.
