I second-guessed myself after sharing my post, The Fork in the Road.
Why I Share
Please know that my personality is one of honesty and transparency. While going through my darkest times, I promised God that if I got past those, I’d share to help others who might be going through similar things. I take that promise very seriously in everything I do. I genuinely share to help others. My calling is to teach, whether it’s elementary art or life. It’s my nature to share.
Thoughts on Oversharing
The day after I wrote that heartfelt blog, while at my lowest, I watched a video by a woman I admired. Her video was on how to be more attractive to other people. I was too drawn into this video not to watch it; however, I couldn’t even see it through to the end. One of the suggestions was not to overshare. She suggested that people only want to see the happy things. She stated that sharing difficult things would turn others off. This made me doubt myself. I was honestly taken aback.
In a world of social media numbers, I don’t write posts to accumulate likes or followers. That isn’t a priority.
Why do we feel that we have to be more attractive to other people?
Should we always be people-pleasers?
Should we continue this trend of only sharing perfect lives?
How does that contribute to society?
People who feel led to share are doing so to help others, even if that leaves them vulnerable. That takes courage! I’m most drawn to people who are willing to overshare.
Let’s Be Authentic
As an over-50 woman, I don’t need to conform.
I’ve worked so hard to overcome the idea of perfection. I want nothing more than to be transparent and open. In the perfect world that social media has created, I only want to be accurate.
I’m human.
I try to make the very best of my life, but many times I have melt-downs and experience stress. There are hard times. My life is so far from perfect. Through feedback, I’ve found that I’m most attractive to others when I am authentic.
I’m most drawn to people who are willing to overshare.
Let’s normalize being real!
Choosing a Road
Last week, I struggled with my path in life. I didn’t know which road to take when faced with a fork in the road. At first, I was drawn to the less traveled, more challenging road.
Then, after much prayer, I chose to take the “easier” road. I found so much value in continuing on a path very similar to the path I’d been on because, suddenly, the road less traveled was too overwhelming. I wasn’t ready for the more challenging road.
When I faced that decision I’d so carefully made, I suddenly had no choice. My life changed on a dime, and I had no control. You don’t always have the luxury of choosing the road of life. This was a horrifying thought for me, who always wanted control.
It’s no secret that I alluded to my marriage in the first post. I’ve been honest about it to those who asked. You see, the third marriage is an animal of its own. It has unique challenges, especially when there is a significant age difference. Eric has agreed to do a post with me about the ups and downs of a third marriage, so stay tuned! The different viewpoints will be interesting! In this past week, we have done much soul-searching. We’ve both cried, laughed, and learned. In that, we chose to create a new road.
The New Road
This path is different from the two options. As we talked, we discovered we had the opportunity to create an entirely new road. We are building this road, blazing a road that neither of us has traveled. We are forging forward with a plan for success. We will have to pioneer this new road. This road will present challenges, but we’ve agreed to handle them as a team. Instead of constantly working against each other, as our personalities differ, we’ve decided to make an effort to work as a team and continue on the road to reach our destination together.
We have pledged to communicate instead of fight. We will be forgiving. We will be flexible and adjust to each other’s needs.
We’ve worked way too hard to give up the journey now!
I do not doubt that this new road will lead to a new happiness that neither path would have led to. This new road may be more challenging than the other choices, but it will be worthwhile.
Trust
Trust. Why is trust so hard?
Once more, I’m reminded to stop questioning. I trust that I’m exactly where I need to be. I don’t need to see too far into the future. I don’t need to control my future. I trust God to work it all out. He will lead us all where we need to be, just as He always has.
