Life is Hard

The title of this post is hardly a revelation or "aha moment" as some call it.  In fact, many probably read the title of this post and thought "duh... no kidding... tell me something I don't know".  Touché.

I decided to write this post after doing some reminising as I scrolled through some pictures on my social media.  Most of my pictures are of things like beautiful sunsets, fun family vacations, selfies on a good hair day or after a workout, or pictures of school books.  All pretty positive stuff.  Makes sense, right?  Who wants to post pictures of dishes in the sink, the laundry that has piled up, a desk/diningroom table/coffee table after a long night of working, or what you look like mid "ugly cry" when your favourite character dies in the show you are binge watching (sidenote - character deaths affect me way too much... I need guarantees that no one will be killed off the shows I watch).  I digress....

What am I saying here?  What is the point of this post?  My point is that most of us present the positive side of life on social media.  Sure we may share the odd emotional post or rant of the week... but overall... we show the "good stuff... and that's ok.  But this is a reminder that we all have things we struggle with.  Sometimes when I share my school book pictures... I'm actually really stressed about an upcoming exam.  When I share a picture from a hotel room... it may be on a work trip where I'm working long hours away from family.  When I post a workout selfie... it may be the last thing I want to do... but I muster a smile and post anyway.  So why do I do it, you may ask, because those pictures.... despite the fact that there is background stress involved.... remind me that there can be beauty in many moments, even if they are stressful.  They can also act as reminders of how hard I work for the life I have.  They can also push and motivate me to work harder.  And, they can be reminders that we all need a break every once in a while.

So remember... next time you're wondering how someone's life appears so perfect on social media.... we don't know the backstory.  There can be a lot happening "behind the scenes".   We need to be kind to each other, and most of all, be kind to ourselves.

As you may or may not have noticed... I took an extended break from my blog.  Life happens... and the break was necessary.  Posts like this remind me of why I like to blog.  It's therapeutic, cathartic, and helps me gain perspective.

My life is far from perfect, but it's mine and I love it.  Keep following my happy social media posts while keeping in mind that for every picture of a sunset... rest assured there is a full basket of laundry and long hours at the office behind each one.  😀

So as the title says.... life is hard..... but it can also be amazing.  Look for the positive, it helps make the harder moments easier to push through.  And give yourself a break.  No one's life is perfect.... despite what their Instagram account may suggest.