Last week I read a powerful blog post from the fabulous Abigail Steidley called "It’s Okay to Not Be Okay – The Power of Being Real." It touched my heart and reminded me that it's more than okay to be exactly who I am.
Guess what? I don't have it all together.
Here's a little glimpse into my not-okayness. And I promise, this just scratches the surface. Enjoy!
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We are so much alike it is starting to creep me out now.
But in a good way.
I <3 You!
Christie {Honoring Health}´s last [type] ..chapters book club Women Food and God– Chapter Four
HA ha ha ha! I was creeped out a long time ago (in a good way)! Clearly this friendship is meant to be.
HUGS!
Yep, yep, being yourself is where it’s at. I mean, who else can be you better than you? And Lord knows I certainly can’t be anyone else no matter how hard I’ve tried at times.
Way to keep up the suspense by saving the cellulite and office shenanagens for another day. Pins and needles I tell you!
I LOVE Clean Eating Mag! I have a subscription and love it!
So real baby, love you!
Part 2: Lumpy Thighs Revealed?
Um, probably not.
LOVE YOU!
Yes, you ARE amazing! Thank you for your courage.
One of my friends who looks perfect from the outside has a neat “trick” for making guests feel comfortable in her home. She purposely won’t clean or put things away the day she’s expecting guests in the hope that it will make her guests feel comfortable enough to want to get together more often that way. No stress of having it together before you can get together.
I liked the “buzz,” by the way.
Hugs from VA.
Laila
Oh, I LOVE your friend’s “trick”! BRILLIANT!
Hugs back to you!
Oh, and as an English teacher I really should no alot better then to double up on the subject when a pronoun would read better. Now, am I trying to cover up an imperfection by deliberately using imperfection to point it out before anyone else can?
Laila
STOP THE INSANITY!
I love this so much! I completely agree that credibility means being REAL, which means being imperfect. I am so inspired by your willingness to make this video and show your readers that living life to the fullest doesn’t mean reaching some unattainable ideal.
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self´s last [type] ..Re-Post– Bad Food Bad Girl
YES! “Living life to the fullest doesn’t mean reaching some unattainable ideal.” Exactly! XXOO!
Okay, I’m freaking out! The bell has rung and I haven’t seen the video yet! Does anyone have earbuds??
HA! I hope the suspense is just eating you up!
It IS!! Watching NOW!!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I love this!! And OMG you wanna talk zits?? Here I am nearly 48 years old and I am breaking out worse than I ever did as a teenager!!
Seriously though, you hit the nail on the head and I applaud you for this. GO JOY!
Yeah! Zit sisters unite!
Thanks, honey.
You made my day!!!!!! Loved it!!! =)
SO GLAD! Love you!
Now, This is my kind of video! I learned when I got into McGuffey and was going to teach drawing, that students REALLY need to see me struggle, too. I was trying so hard to get everything down perfectly before my first class—-and then it dawned on me —-students will feel a lot safer with a fellow struggler, which I really am (not a natural born artist but one who learned by the sweat of her brow and other places). And it has worked really well for 10 years. I even call the class “Drawing for Chickens”, being a big chicken myself. The studio where I teach is called the Chicken Coop, so how perfect does THAT have to be?
I wish you could bring that camera to my house and see the excavataion site (my kitchen table which we don’t eat on—laps are were it’ s at for us. I never thought I was a slob—always blamed the mess on having a small house—-but now I wear the label proudly because it means I have so many more interseting and creative things to do than clean all the time. Besides, cat hair is impossible to keep up with.After awhile it just looks like another cat toy.
I do get into cleaning the kitchen and bathroom because I don’t want to put us in the hospital—-but there are days when those places call for a Hazmet crew, too.
So if anyone wants a feel-good tour. I would be proud to conduct a one. I won’t say it never gets to me, but most of the time I am cool with whatever is the result of my creative and busy and interesting life. Bring that camera on over here, Joy. We have a lot to celebrate!
LOVE THIS, Jean! Hmmmm… sounds like a great series — “Celebrating Imperfections.” Maybe I can show up unexpectedly and videotape everyone’s messy homes! Wouldn’t we all feel so relieved and light to just have the TRUTH out there?
Anytime! Bring some friends with you! It just gets better with age!
The muffins were great and so are you–yes, because you are the real deal.
There is not a pretentious bone in your body. Muffin liners next time?
HA! Great suggestion! Guess what? The muffin fairy showed up this morning. My evil plan worked!!!! I didn’t have to wash the darn thing!
Joy, your posts always put a smile on my face! And are so thought-provoking, too. I love your message that the most important thing is being real and being authentic.
When I first started blogging about body image, I thought I had to be perfect, that I had to set a good example to readers and never ever have a body image issue ever again.
Well, clearly, that’s impossible. And when I wrote about my struggles (after finally getting up the courage to), I received so many warm and wonderful comments! I think readers appreciated my honesty and were so supportive, too.
Again, I love that you reminded us of an important issue but did it in such a fun and uplifting way!
Margarita @ Weightless´s last [type] ..The Adonis Complex– Insight from Body Image Expert Roberto Olivardia
Oh, thank you for this comment, Margarita! I love that you’ve experienced the power of being real. It’s so funny how much we fear it, but then when we open up it’s almost always WONDERFUL!
I also wanted to add that I struggle with perfectionism a lot and with the idea that there’s a right and a wrong way to do things. This video was really great for me to see!
Margarita @ Weightless´s last [type] ..The Adonis Complex– Insight from Body Image Expert Roberto Olivardia
YEAH! I call myself a “recovering perfectionist.”
I LOVE this video!!! Oh, you have made it so much easier to be imperfect
thank-you friend. And — did you leave Virginia? I didn’t know all the changes from before resulted in a move, sad.
ami´s last [type] ..New school year fresh start– so ask for help
Hey Ami! So glad I’ve helped ease the burden of perfection!
Yes — I’m in SC now. It all happened really fast. My husband got a job offer out of the blue (after being on the market for 2 years). It was really one of those “leap and the net will appear” things. As you know, I resigned from my teaching job, but my husband didn’t have secure employment and I had no idea how our finances were going to work out. And then… he got a job out of no where! We moved on August 7th. It’s been wild and overwhelming and it was very sad to leave Charlottesville, but mostly I am so grateful.
well, good for both of you. I know you’ll do well, wherever you’re located. (are you anywhere near Augusta, SC?) tho’ I know now that you are not perfect
your new house, even with a used muffin tin in the sink, looks lovely!
ami´s last [type] ..New school year fresh start– so ask for help
Ok, this is it. I’m outa here! How can I accept after all of these years that you are not perfect. I just can’t handle it. Wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a! I hate to tell ya but my kitchen sinks makes yours look like Martha Stewart’s. Tell you what! I might consider continuing to subscribe to your blog if you and all of your subscribers will agree to not shave their legs for a week. Then we all submit photo’s in place of our avatars. That sounds like “imperfect” to me!!!
You are too much, Mom! And I LOVE your hairy legs idea. Be careful what you joke about…
Ok Joy that was Awesome! I so needed that and a good laugh.
Thank you so much for being you
My pleasure! So glad to make you laugh!
Oh Joy, you make me smile and LOL! This was so great. I remember when you first moved (which wasn’t THAT long ago) you talked of sweeping your kitchen floor after meals. Something about the new place and keeping things tidy. Hmmm, that lasted how long, HAHAHA!!
Love it! My friend said something about coming out to visit while I’m recuperating. She’s never been here before. I said that my place was just a mess and she said she was coming to see me not my mess and then why didn’t I clean up before Friday’s surgery. I told my husband and he said Yeah like that’s not gonna’ happen!! Like Jean said, we don’t eat at the dining rm. table cause it’s covered with stuff. I think I’d break the camera if you were to come video my house!!
As for the zits, I’m almost 55 and they still appear, especially on the chin (with all of those lousy little hairs). However, it sounds like yours are new since the move. A bit of stress possibly? Change in climate/ environment? Just a thought. You’re beautiful, zits and imperfections and the whole enchilada!
Love you and miss you.
I will have you know that I’m still sweeping on occasion, thank you VERY much!
I love your friend’s comment that she wants to see YOU. That’s so spot on. If we can just learn to love ourselves in that same way, huh?
Thanks so much for your sweet comment. LOVE you!
The honesty and genuineness of this post is so refreshing! I loved seeing your imperfections and I love that you totally OWN them. I think that’s what it’s all about and you’re living it! Thanks for taking the plunge and putting it all out there. I totally agree that I’d want my life coach to be real and down-to-earth… and having your accent wouldn’t hurt either
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul´s last [type] ..Don’t Watch your step
WHAT accent?!!!! Ha ha ha ha! You know, if you could hear the true local accents where I live, you would die. They think I’m a Yankee!
Thank you for this awesome comment. You are such a gem.
Joy, this was amazing and adorable! Of course, I’m too introverted to do such a thing myself, but I have been known to pull friends who were feeling down on themselves (and thinking I have it all together) into the hallway to look at my linen closet where I was stuffing, rather than folding and stacking, my dish towels. I happen to be back to folding and stacking them now and am proud to say that I don’t feel the least bit superior about it! Nor did I feel inferior during the time I wasn’t taking the time to fold and stack!
I LOVE this comment, Jean! You always make me smile so big. I’m so glad you haven’t gotten all full of yourself about the folded towels. HA!
XO!
Joy. I BURST into a cackle when you mentioned your cellulite. Thank you, I really needed a laugh after a long day!
Great video. And just so you know, it seemed so credible and real. Mission accomplished.
Thanks, sweetheart! So glad I made you laugh!
[…] girl, Joy, released the most amazing video about how imperfect she is. I personally think she is perfect at being her and that is all that counts in my […]