I’ve been thinking a lot about the image I portray on my blog. My goal is and always has been to keep this a positive place for both myself and my readers. However, life isn’t perfect and neither am I. I have lots of flaws just like everyone else – I can be super impulsive, I tend to get upset easily, I often have a super short attention span, etc. I’m human!
It’s true – I’m naturally very outgoing and bubbly. I have been all my life. I love laughing and getting to know people. However, no one can be that way 100% of the time. It’s just not possible!
With that being said, I’m coming to realize that blogs can be a bit deceiving. I’m not saying that all bloggers purposefully try to paint a rosy picture of their lives. There are lots of bloggers who are very honest and genuine, and I really appreciate that. Personally, I feel like I’m somewhere in between. I just figure that no one wants to hear about my crappy days or moments, but I’m slowly realizing that if I want my blog to be a true reflection of who I am, I have to show all sides of myself.
I’m going to kick this “being real” thing off by sharing the 3 things I am not. I figure I’m not the only one out there who isn’t perfect! 
1. I am not patient. In fact, I am whatever is the very opposite of patient. My mom was actually joking about my lack of patience this weekend. She said that she could totally see me rushing everyone and everything at my wedding ceremonies because they won’t be moving fast enough for me. You are so right, mom! It’s sad, but I can totally see that too.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not proud of the fact that I get a burning desire to yell at people who walk slow, talk slow, drive slow, etc. Or that I can’t stand it when people have to tell me every last detail of their story before getting to the point. I lack patience in many areas of my life, but I’m working on it. I promise.
2. I am not always positive. Gasp! If you are a regular or semi-regular reader, you may not believe me, but it’s true. I actually have to work at not being negative.
In the past, my gut instinct was to automatically think about the worse case or what if scenarios. Vishnu is actually the one who showed me that that is no way to live. He made me realize that I wasn’t fully appreciating all of the great things in my life because I was constantly waiting for the next bad thing to happen.
One of the reasons I even started a blog was to show others that we can choose to be positive and happy – it’s all about your mindset. And again, I’m not a super positive person all the time, but I have come to learn that 95% of the time there’s a silver lining. Sometimes you just have to work really hard to find it.
3. I am not always a healthy eater. I do not, I repeat do not, blog about everything I eat. It’s not my style. And while it’s true that I post recipes and make food that is on the healthy side, I also don’t hide the fact that I love chocolate, cheese, cookies, ice cream, etc. I try to stick to the 90/10 rule during the week and the 80/20 rule during the weekend.
A lot of people assume that spinach is my favorite food. Um…no way! I love creating and eating nutritious and healthy meals because of the way they make me feel. But I also love Coffee Oreo ice cream, warm chocolate chip cookies, and cheesy enchiladas. It’s all about balance, people!
It’s a beautiful thing to see yourself as a great person and to try to help others see themselves in the same way. But it’s equally as important to own up to the things you aren’t and to be honest about them. After all, perfect is boring!
i’m right with you on the impatience and the chocolate and the cheese. thank you for your honesty and for being open to being so real with your readers. it really takes a lot to do that.
Chocolate and cheese make the world go round!
So true…blogs only show a tiny glimpse into someone’s reality. My previous blog, I used it to vent and rant and it was probably more true to life than it should have been. Not a hugely positive place.
My current blog, I am actively making it a place to be positive (even when I feel like shit) because I’ve learnt the hard way that negative thoughts don’t do anything to make it better.
Not saying I won’t be real and true but I’ve also learnt that there is a line between TMI and keeping it real. 🙂
My thing I am not – I’m not as outgoing and bubbly as it may seem on my blog. I’m actually quite a shy person but open up really quickly once you get to know me. 😀
Could not agree more with this post. We have quite a few common traits my friend! I am impatient and really I hate people beating round the bush. Please come to the point. When I feel overwhelmed,I take a timeout. I prefer not to bring other down with me, with my lackluster posts!
Thanks for your honesty! it’s so easy to portray ourselves in the best light possible but it is equally important to recognise our flaws! I could definitely relate with 1 and 3. The other day I had to wait for 7 or so mins at the gym because all the cardio machines were used up and I wanted to shoot myself by the end of it..those few mins felt like an eternity! As for eating healthily, I do my best but sometimes I need the some grease/dessert and other times, I do eat the healthy stuff but just too much!
I think people can definitely overdo the healthy. A little grease never hurt anyone!
I have the same issue with patience… which is interesting while I’m traveling… haha!
Having known you, I’ve always thought you were a positiver person. Always with a smile! 🙂
Aww…thanks, Laura! I am pretty positive when it comes to other people, but I tend to gravitate towards the worst when it has to do with me. I’ve gotten a lot better though!
I LOVE how honest you are. This is definitely something refreshing to read in the blog world…we don’t all love spinach and walk around on clouds all day haha
i agree with you parita. when i first started blogging i wrote about my crappy days and then i didn’t wanna talk about that, because who wants to talk about sad things and crappy days, what i was writing wasn’t uplifting to me so it probably made the reader feel bored. i’m a pretty happy person too, but i don’t feel that way all the time either. it’s all about balance. just like you, i do try and add positive energy to my blog most of the time, but sometimes reality isn’t so positive and that’s where the “real you/me” come into the picture. sometimes i’m also drawn to people’s blogs who have been thru a lot because on the way they reflect back on life. it is all about growth. 🙂 very good post!
I love this comment. I think that it’s almost every blogger’s responsibility to show all sides of themselves. It’s only fair to those who read your blog. And I too am drawn to blogs where I feel like the individual behind it is an old friend.
I think this is a great post and you’re so right – it’s about keeping it real not trying to come off as 100% happy 100% of the time. For those that do keep it cheery all the time.. good for them! haha 🙂
Love the honesty! I’m glad I’m not the only impatient person out there…and if you were happy and ate perfectly all the time life would be a bit dull! Nothing wrong with eating your Oreos Ice Cream. 🙂
Love this post! It would be pretty impossible to be positive, patient, and 100% healthy all the time – right? Sometimes, it’s hard to convey that balance in a blog – so I love your honesty. 🙂