I’m supposed to be cheerful. Happy! I should share that life is good! Life is great! I should downplay my struggles if I want my message to reach you all. And here’s the thing – LIFE IS GREAT. Life is good. I am happy. I am cheerful.
But, and there is a but…I need to add a disclaimer. An asterisk if you will. Yes…life is great. I am alive, I have a loving family that only drives me bonkers “sometimes,” I am mostly healthy. I have a roof above my head. I have close friends. I have a beautiful community that brings me joy. Yes, I have a lot in my life that is indeed great. Life IS Great*
*and also…sometimes, sometimes it just doesn’t feel so great.
Life is good…and also hard.
I am happy…and sometimes sad.
I can be cheerful…and sometimes down.
I am honest…and well, always honest. Especially when it comes to feelings.
I have never hidden how I feel. Maybe I have hidden it from certain people, or in certain situations, or perhaps delayed the sharing, but I have never strayed from acknowledging them. All of them.
Happy, sad.
Cheerful, down.
Excited, anxious.
Ecstatic, disappointed.
Calm, overwhelmed.
Confident, unsure.
Here is a feeling I am feeling now. Concerned.
Showing the world only “happy, cheerful, life is great” posts isn’t necessarily the way to make people feel better. Yes, it makes people feel better in the moment. But, it’s only part of the equation.
And actually, not acknowledging the other part – the not so cheerful posts – is a disservice. It doesn’t help people feel better in the long run.
There is more to helping people feel better.
People need to know they are not alone in their struggles.
People are craving connection with others like them so that they feel understood and safe to finally share their real feelings, free of judgement.
People are looking silently for stories that make them feel better about their feelings that aren’t so often talked about because they are frowned upon, shamed, feared, misunderstood and more.
People, like me, want to be real about life and ALL the feelings so that we feel lighter…which is what helps us to feel better.
Feeling lighter helps us to take steps towards getting to a brighter place, a place where we fully enjoy all that makes life great. Sharing all our feelings in a vulnerable way with others isn’t gloom and doom. It’s human. It takes courage. It is what TRULY CONNECTS people even more so than 100% happy stuff. It actually LEADS to more happy moments. It frees people and…
* * * It is what makes life great. * * *
The following song just popped into my head. Interesting 😉 Thanks Dionne.
“What the world needs now, is love sweet love./
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”
Sharing posts that reflect all experiences – “life is great” and “life is hard right now” IS LOVE.
Both posts help people better in different ways. Both kinds of posts help people connect with others, connect their own thoughts, connect with their inner selves, and connect with their dreams.
I hope this post doesn’t get lost as many of mine have been. I will continue to be real, sharing my struggles and how I process them and get to a better spot. And I will continue to share my brighter moments too, and the even not so bright moments.
If I am not honest with myself about how I feel or who I am, I won’t be The Orange Rhino anymore…I will be back to a Gray Rhino, charging with my words because I’m not acknowledging how I really feel. And since I am honest, I like being The Orange Rhino much better.
It feels Warmer. Lighter. Brighter. It feels Better.
Sending you my warmth to go with your strength, and my gratitude for your continuous support of this wonderful and special community.
xoxo, Sheila
🧡 The Orange Rhino
*this is another unedited, written stream of consciousness style with typos, post * * just kidding, I did go back and add a few things after I saw the comments. Like how grateful I am for all of you. xoxo.
