The past few months, I’ve been on and off social media more times than I can count. Because here’s the thing. I’m not always living an “instaworthy” life. I don’t always feel motivational, upbeat, and inspiring. I don’t always even believe that everything is going to turn out ok.
So naturally while reading the other day, this quote kind of rocked my world. What would our world look like if we all expected authenticity instead or perfection? What if being a good friend meant holding someone while they cry, driving over in the middle of the night, or calling to check in rather than “liking” their most recent post. What if being vulnerable with friends was no longer scary because honesty was the norm? What if being real was more “popular” than having it all together? What if when we asked friends “how are you?” we expected real, messy answers? What if these encounters brought friends closer together instead of giving us an easy opportunity to retreat?
This year, I want to learn to be real. I want to learn to care less about how many likes my post gets and care more about the people who surround me. I want to learn to feel worthy and loved regardless of my popularity. I want to learn that posting something on social media doesn’t mean you have to act like things are perfect. I want to learn how to be authentic and real and raw, regardless of the fear that friends will run in the opposite direction. I want to learn to be honest when people ask “how are you?” I want to learn to be okay with not being okay. I want to learn to love myself, with no filters, no captions, and no pretense. And for better or for worse, I want to learn to stop apologizing to friends for needing their help to carry me through-
All I can hope is that when their next trying season comes, my number will be the first one they dial in the middle of their darkest night.