Flawless? I Think Not...

By: MrJackBrickhouse (@GotMyShades)

Buy Our Book Here: Cigarettes & Bad Decisions, The S*** I Wish I'd Known
Magazine: Standing Room Only Magazine Issue 6 June 2017
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When is the last time you have taken a look at yourself? If it's been awhile, take a second and scroll through that Galaxy or iPhone, and take a look at one of those selfies. Not the selfies you use for your "Photoshop My Life" collection. I mean a picture of the real you before you add the filters and edits. The picture of you without the wig, hair extensions, or perfect hair cut with the waves that are leaving them sea sick. (It's a black thing! LOL) I'm talking the picture with the chubby cheeks you have from having several kids or with the magnifying glasses you wear because your vision is 10/10. The picture with the freckles or the acne you have. The picture where your abs aren't that defined fellas because you drink a few six packs a week. I'm talking the raw picture you took before you cropped out the mess of a room you live in at your mom's house. Yeah that picture. That's the real you. Now ask yourself what's so wrong with me just being me? Who am I'm competing with? If you are looking for attention from the opposite sex, that person you have your eye on is pretending also more than likely. So what happens when two pretenders get together? More pretending of course! LOL

So my next question is if this is the real you, why do some of us spend our time judging individuals who choose not to play pretend? The individuals who come out and own who they are and who they are aspiring to become. Let's revert back to that question I posed previously, what's wrong with you? Could it be you judge and throw negative energy at others because they have more self-confidence than you? Is it that with their "Flaws & All" they were still able to get the man or woman of your dreams? Why, in our current society, is it ok not to be authentic anymore? Some may blame social media, but let's remember social media is a tool. People contribute content to the organism that has become social media.

We as people have control of what trends and what doesn't. Just because an image is presented to us as the new norm, doesn't mean we have to buy into it. Maybe we have taken the "Follow" button that is prevalent across most social media platforms to seriously and have allowed it to dictate are lives. It's much easier to follow than it is to lead. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being a follower, because everyone can't lead. However, if this is the case and you are content with being a follower, many of us need to take down these "Boss" captions from the images that we select as representation of ourselves. If somebody is dictating your schedule, you are not a "Boss." If you receive a W-2, 9 out of 10 times you are not a "Boss." You may be a manager or supervisor, but not a "Boss." Again, own who you are and the status that you have attained. Life will be much easier for you.

This portion is for women and men, but primarily to my women readers. While in a conference a couple weeks back, one of the female presenters made a statement that resonated with me and I felt the need to pass it along. She spoke directly to the young professional women in the audience and made a statement that I don't think I have ever heard in my lifetime. She spoke from the heart and told them that it was ok to aspire to be a housewife and not want to be a working professional woman attempting to balance a family and professional career. She said it's ok to just want to be a stay at home mom and raise your kids. (What if your daughter or son comes to you and says they just want to be a stay at home mom or dad when they become an adult? How would you respond?) As those few sentences rolled off her tongue, I watched the confusion roll across the young women's faces in the audience. It was as if she had spoken to them in a foreign language. At that moment I realized the pressure that some women are put under to become successful in the workforce. This goes for stay at home dad's as well.

You can't be apart of the "Flawless" lifestyle if your husband or wife doesn't pursue a career and doesn't work so that they can take care of the family structure. Many will respond to this and say that it takes two incomes to survive in this society. That is true to an extent, but what defines "this society?" If you are trying to keep up the image of this "Flawless" lifestyle where both you and your spouse have the newest technology or automobiles and take expensive vacations (that you probably still can't really afford), it takes two incomes. If the society you speak of is one where your kids have to have the newest expensive shoes and clothing, it takes two incomes. If these things are what you are chasing, you are absolutely correct. But while chasing this "Flawless" lifestyle what happens to your families core? When the kids get home, who is there to greet them and check up on their activities and agendas? Who is there to take the kids to sports or theatre practice? As with everything in life you have decisions to make. A "Flawless" lifestyle to you will more than likely look different than your peers. Instead of trying to compete with society, define what "Flawless" looks like to you, and how you can go about obtaining it. In a world full of followers, there is still a need for a few leaders. Maybe you can be one of them!