Wiping Away the Sugary Frosting

Battling perfection and showing my true, human and imperfect self.

The last year, has been the most challenging in my life (so far, anyway).

And yet, most people around me don’t know that. If you were to look on my social media channels, you would never venture a clue that on the inside I’m tired, broken, battered and raw.

That’s because social media is a lot like the frosting on the cake. It’s sweet, sugary and decorated with sprinkles. Social media only shows you the sweetest, best bits of life. It’s the highlight reel that only shows the times you’ve succeeded, not the 99,999 times you’ve fallen on your face.

But, there’s a lot of cake (and real life) underneath all that icing. My life is more than frosted sweetness. There’s hurt, heartache and brokenness underneath that sugary shell.

My entire life, I’ve been the “perfectionist.” The strong one who has it all figured out and holds it all together. All the i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

But perfectionism isn’t real. It’s a facade that you can only hold up for so long. And it’s exhausting.

While my public persona might be one of hustle and achievement, inside I’m just as insecure and fragile as most people.

And I’m tired of hiding it. I’m tired of pretending that my life is perfect or that I’m perfect. Because it’s not. And I’m not.

Instead, I’m perfectly imperfect. And that’s okay.

Because growth happens in the midst of the mess, struggle and heartache. It’s on the journey through the hard things that you discover who you really are and what you are really meant to do.

To be honest, I’m still figuring it out. And while I’d love to have all of the answers right now, I’m recognizing the importance of appreciating the journey and finding the beauty right where I am.

I have never been one to be vulnerable — at least not publicly. I’ve always enjoyed being the shoulder to lean on.

But as I read in an article recently, “vulnerability is what creates connections.”

And in the past few months, I’ve started to discover the truth in this statement as I’ve shared my story with people close to me.

The result has been interesting to watch. Sometimes, people try to paint a silver lining over the mess of my life and want to help me look on the bright side. Others try to brush it aside because dealing with hard stuff is uncomfortable.

But sometimes, a beautiful thing happens — my story causes people to open up and share theirs.

There’s something deep inside of us that can relate to the frustrations and hurt of others. Because after all, every one of us is facing our own demons and fighting our own battles.

Shining a light on your struggles removes them from their dark hiding places and you expose the struggles for what they are — a part of the shared, human experience.

By sharing your struggles, you take away their power.

When you leave struggles in the dark, they fester and grow. They pollute your heart and stranglehold your mind into thinking that you will never get out of this difficult place.

It’s all a lie.

We often think that we are the only one going through a rough patch, while the rest of the world lives in the land of pink frosting and sugary sprinkles.

But, I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. Your struggles are real and your story matters. You just have to have the guts to share it.

So, that’s what I’m going to do. And I hope that this helps someone else feel confident enough to share theirs.

To be honest, sharing my story scares the pants off of me. I want nothing more than to keep on portraying the candy-coated version of my life.

But as I was reading this article recently, two words echoed relentlessly in my brain:

JUST WRITE.

So, here I am. Wiping away the sugar-coated frosting of my life and showing you the messy bits underneath.

I don’t know where this is going. But perhaps that’s the point.

I’m going to take this journey one step at a time. For now, I’m going to write, be vulnerable and see where the road takes me.

I realize that I might lose some people along the way. I recognize that I’m opening myself up for criticism and disappointment.

But, I also see the opportunity for personal growth and deeper connections.

And that’s a risk worth taking in my book.

Who’s with me?

If this resonated with you, click the heart below to recommend this story to others. And, if you want to see what comes next follow me as I begin to share more of my story. Thank you for reading!