“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
Publishing about things that are usually kept private
Since I first started sharing my blog posts, I have gotten a mix of responses to what I am choosing to write about. Even as I am clicking the “Publish” button, I sometimes wonder to myself why I am making the choice to share such personal stories or feelings. But there are multiple reasons why, and those are the reasons I continue to click that “Publish” button unapologetically.
I have come across people who believe that individuals choosing to be open and more expressive about their history with mental health conditions are miserable or sad all the time. This is just because they choose to talk about the real things that they have been through, while others prefer talking only about the more positive experiences in life.
Being Open About Mental Health
Being open about mental health does not mean someone is in a bad place. It means that individuals are willing to take the experiences that have shaped their own lives to encourage others to have conversations and prioritize their own well-being.
No one has recently asked me why I post things that are usually kept more private. However, in the beginning I used to get a lot of questions–and I randomly still will–especially from adults.
Social Media & Mental Health
Studies have been done about the correlation between social media and mental health. There are various relationships between the types of people using social media and the ways they are affected by its presence in their lives.
A major point I have taken away from these studies (and have seen in real life) is that constantly seeing others’ successes, looking at beautiful (and sometimes edited) pictures of people around the world, and reading about the importance of just being positive or happy all the time can take a toll on someone in real life. People start feeling worse about their own lives, questioning the things they do, and feeling socially isolated. Social media tends to make it seem like the rest of the world has it all together–when in reality there are multiple struggles, failures, and setbacks that exist behind-the-scenes.
At the same time, social media can bring such a positive impact on people’s mental health. Being able to share content on a social platform allows individuals to connect with the world in many different ways. At the same time, being able to share your own life’s successes and highlights allows social media users to feel content with their own lives. Receiving positive feedback from followers boosts confidence and self-esteem even more!
So using social media has its pros and cons. And I truly believe that using different modes of social media in small does can create a healthy environment for individuals to connect with themselves and the rest of the world.
Being Positive vs Being Realistic
However, too many people focus on posting about the “positives” and no one focuses on the “realities” of their lives. There is honestly nothing wrong with sharing the “best” or “happiest” versions of yourself. At the same time, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with sharing the “worst” or “undesirable” parts of your life.
Why I Choose to Share
People say in person I’m too bubbly or that I smile too much or that I can be too perky with people. So to balance that out, I write about the other end of my emotional spectrum!
If you want someone who tries to see the best side of everything in life with a big smile on my face, have a conversation with me in real life! If you want someone to annoy you with her perkiness, come see me at like 8 am! And if you want to see me at my happiest, watch me perform a dance, write for hours, spend time with loved ones, or follow my dreams!
I will use my smile and my personality to show my love and appreciation of the life I am living. But I will continue using my voice through my blogs to show people how I got there–and how I continue to work on becoming the best version of myself.
Because that’s just what I feel a desire to do. Whenever someone feels bad about not getting offers or interviews, I talk about my rejections. Whenever someone feels bad about their body, I show them my belly fat rolls or stretch marks. Not because I want people to feel like they’re better than me, but because I’m comfortable with these so-called “flaws” that are just the realities of life. They make me, me. And I hate seeing other people feel disappointed about being themselves because social media shows them what “perfection” should look like. There’s no such thing!
No matter how many people around you always seem so put together and successful, they are humans. We all go through a range of experiences and emotions. It is just as important to discuss the lows as it is to discuss the highs. It is just as important to see the successes of others as it is to see their failures. And it is just as important to embrace the bad times as it is to embrace the good times.
Because without sadness, there can never be true joy. We can’t be silent on one and prioritize the other–they both (along with all of our other emotions) come together to make us who we truly are 💕💕
