Window display

For the more observant among you, you may have noticed that I haven´t written for a while. This is due, in part, to forgetfulness and an annoying spam problem. I have now upped security regarding this.

Also, I found myself wanting to reassure you, and therefor also boost my own self-esteem, by demonstrating that I´m ok. Allow me to explain. Life is improving - but, it is going quite slowly. I have resisted the urge to allow you to window shop on my life by writing how wonderful everything is. I find facebook members, including myself at times, particularily guilty of this:
`Really enjoyed training at the gym just now. My six pack is coming along nicely,´or `Just back from the best holiday ever, and now can´t wait to start work at the best place ever,´ or much, much worse....`Drinking hot chocolate with my wonderful, caring husband and glorious children in the sun. Could life get any better?´ (Yeauch.)

It´s not that I´m against positivity, quite the opposite, I just find it a little bit much that we often feel the need to desperately show that we´re ok. Is this due to the saying my friend, ironically, posted on his facebook status?:

You are not what you think you are. You are not what other people think you are. You are what you think other people think you are.

I would say, most likely. Take me for example. I haven´t really had a job for three years. It´s been really hard and still is. I feel crap sometimes when people ask me what I do for a living. I assume they´re wondering why I don´t work or would like to suggest helpful ideas for how to get `just any old job for now,´or even worse, suspect me of laziness. It´s very difficult to not panic and try to sell yourself as a normal happy person who lives up to the standard of the worlds´expectations.

What are those expectations anyway? In my head they read like so: Happily married with two children, nice house, perfect job, great car, functioning mind, educated, fit, beautiful..... There are soooo many people in the world that, not through choice, cannot acheive these `goals.´In this case, what do the rest of us do?

I think it´s refreshing when people can be honest without being wingy. For example, you don´t have to bring mount doom down on people when they ask you if you have a job. It´s fine to say: `Not at the moment.´You don´t owe people information or perfection. I think it´s important to be balanced, honest and careful about the information you´re sharing, as it may be a painful time for you. You´re still a success, just not necessarily in the way you think people expect you to be.

What does it matter? No one´s perfect, or has a perfect life. You still have so much to offer, even if, in your mind, you fall short of people´s perfection. You´re you - and that, if you can accept yourself, is pretty amazing. That´s the key I think, accept who you are and where you´re at (believe me I know this is hard), and avoid picture perfect wannabes. Yep.