Are you presenting a perfect, shiny image of yourself and life to the world when really on the inside you are a big ol' mess?
About 1/2 way through my trip to Bali I started to get uncomfortable with the image I was presenting about the location on my FB page. Picture after picture was of gorgeous scenery, beautiful beaches, smiling and happy people. I was getting so many responses about how beautiful and amazing the place was. Which was completely true. It was beautiful. People were happy. What I realized though is that I was only sharing half the picture.
In many of the photos, if I had turned around and taken a picture of what was behind me you would have seen mountains of garbage and plastic in canyons, along the roadside, in people's yards. You would have seen the poverty. But I didn't share that side.
It's making me think about what I actually share with you and the people in my life. And what I don't. It's so easy to just present all the good and pretty and happy things. It feels so much more vulnerable and scary to share the yuck, the garbage.
How can I claim to be sharing my whole, authentic self or more importantly how can I ask you to, if I'm not? No one learns from a "do as I say, not as I do" teaching method. Pretending there is not garbage on the hillside doesn't make it go away, it just keeps people doing the same thing. More garbage piles up.
So here's my whole Truth as I know it in this moment. I am blessed and grateful for an incredible life. Sometimes I tell myself I'm supposed to be more grateful then I am and I feel shame. Some days I wake up excited to keep moving forward and there are lots of days I would just like to stay in bed. Or retreat to a cave (a luxury cave I might add) with just my sweet pup. My relationship with my significant is complicated and messy. I'm not always as kind and loving as I want to be. I withhold my truth most often with him, the person that is the most kind and loving to me. I still (shaming word as it implies that I should be over it) doubt that I am smart/skilled/talented enough to make the things I want to happen in my life a reality. And, there are days that I know I've got this.
What I've learned, and keep trying to practice, is that when I show up fully and embrace all the messiness in life, continuing to put one foot in front of the other, the life I feel so blessed and grateful for is created. By me.
So what's your Truth. Where are you showing up with your whole, authentic self? And where are you not? What stories do you tell yourself that keep you small and safe? And which ones keep you getting up and moving forward?
Here's to BOLDLY stepping into our Truth.
Much love,
Heather