I am not perfect, but I am AWESOME.

Lately, I have been trying to decide which direction I’d like my blog go. I know I don’t have a huge following and I know that in order to become a popular blog I must take steps to become bigger and better like pictures, buying my web address and joining more social media sites, but I think, why, all the time. Why do I have to spend hours to have the perfect pictures. Why can’t I just whip out my cell phone take some pictures in the moment and take my time writing the post. Why do I need to stage perfection when some of the things I want to post are inherently messy; or why should I spend so much time STAGING when I could be working on other household chores. Which brings me to the topic of this post…being perfect.

Do you ever struggle with the feelings of being inadequate? Or maybe just that you have to keep up with the Jones’s?

As I look through my Pintrest I see many blogs and pins on how to be perfect; be better at cleaning, purge faster, lose that weight you might not even need to lose, parent kids this way, dress to impress…the list goes on and on of how we can make our life better, yet it is all staged.  You can even search “How to fake a clean house”.

I  don’t know about you but I have come to realize that if I strive to look good to or for others I start to shut down and become unhappy; I gain weight, stress myself out to the point of not wanting to do anything, I start to doubt myself worth. Yet when I stop worrying about what others think of me and strive to be the best ME I can be; everything falls into place.  AND viola my happiness is restored.

Now I am not saying I haven’t been inspired by the many bloggers I follow, because I have been. I am just saying that I wish to inspire people in real life situations and stay true to who I am. I want someone to think, “Wow, I can do that”.  I don’t want people to think poorly about themselves because of something I wrote or the picture I may have staged. I want to be true to myself, and I do not live a photo shopped life. Which to me means my blog should be true in real life also.

Because I don’t live a photo shopped life, or in some kind of TV sitcom-esque world I will not stress myself out over getting the perfect picture. The content of my post is enough because that is being true to who I am, which is what blogging is all about any (right?). I will strive to inspire others like me by being myself. Hopefully making someone’s life easier along the way because that is what I set out to do anyways, to inspire not create a perfectly staged life.

Why can’t we all be true to ourselves anymore? I have noticed tons of people over the last few years striving to impress others, when they aren’t truly happy with themselves or their lives. Hiding behind perfectly dressed children and homes, volunteering and over extending themselves all to save face and look like they are the perfect little family. When behind closed doors and deep down they are not as put together as they seem. Eventually, all of those actions will catch up to you and can put you in a place where my may feel alone, wishing for more or looking over the fence wishing for greener grasses.  All the while forgetting that happiness comes from within. You cannot expect to fill your life with expensive things and staged lives and find anything more than a sense of disappointment. All those things eventually fade. Remember not everything that sparkles is gold.

Who gets to decide what perfection is any way? You get the opportunity to decide that for yourself and your loved ones. This is one of the most empowering things you can do. Do not give that power away- to anyone or anything.

Nowhere in our goal of “perfect or perfection” should we stage or fake what we truly are not. We all need to stop worrying what others think about us and more about what makes us feel good about ourselves. By becoming a healthier version of yourself, for you and your family, eventually you can manifest your own version of perfection.

Namaste ❤

Jem