To be real or not to be... that is the question

 One of the magical parts of growing older is we discover more about who we are as a person.

Like many writers, my thoughts pop into my mind at what might be a bizarre time, but more often than not are delivered just at the right moment.

I was at a bar on the weekend after sharing a lovely meal with a group of friends. As I was there looking around, I noticed a few people I knew, some said hi, while others kept to themselves.

Which is totally okay. But I began to think about the great divide that is social media.

Are we becoming two different versions of ourselves?  And if so, how does this have an effect on who we are as a person in real life?

One of my favourite words is real. It is one that continues to guide me, when I don’t always have faith in myself. For me there is power in the word real.

Real to me has a similar value as truth.

I was asked where I got my handbag that night. I replied, “Its Kmart, a $10 Anko bargain”.

The response was “I thought you were going to tell me it was designer.”

I have never been afraid to be who I am, even though at times self-doubt creeps in and I think maybe its best to tone down my true colours- just in case.

But what I have found to be the best piece of ‘real’ advice is to be absolutely yourself because it helps make everyone else around you feel safe to be themselves too. And in those moments, you can find real beauty.

That is a true gift to give someone. The space to be who they are, the freedom to not keep up with appearances or perhaps remove the filters they feel they need.

As the weekend continued, I finally finished reading The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, by Holly Ringland, (side note please read it, it’s beautiful). There is a line in the book that says:

“Trust yourself. Trust your story. All you can do is tell it true.”

Our power lies in being true to who we are and the reality of it is, we are the only ones who can write that story.

Big love,

Fallon