Life as we know it… or portray it?

The courage to be real

I don’t think it’s ever been easier to pretend or portray an alternate life than what we’re currently living. Social media in particular allows us to show only the magical, the glamorous, the ideal, or perhaps convey a constant onslaught of crisis, drama, and misfortune.

It’s easy to be at one extreme (happiness and perfection) or the other (everything is the worst).

But what if we dared to be real and vulnerable? To share the messy and the magical? To celebrate the moments that take our breath away and to be candid about the struggles that seem too painful to endure.

I’m not suggesting that we share every detail of our life with the world. (That’s not helpful for anyone.)

What I’m proposing could be described as responsible vulnerability. Instead of vomiting life as it happens, we take time to process (especially after traumatic events). And instead of censoring everything but the ‘happy,’ we’re honest about where we’re at and how it feels.

Being real about our own ups and downs puts us in a posture to better empathize with others. Our (responsible) vulnerability paves the way for more connection.