Just the other day I was honored to be a part of an art show in my little community. It was such a great experience! I started off painting for fun, because it gave me something to do, some kind of outlet type thing. It gives me something to focus on instead of the things I used to focus on, like what everyone else was doing. I swear that joke about suffering from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is something that I believe is true because I was suffering from it for as long as I can remember! I just needed to always know what everyone else was doing to see if it was something I wanted to do because I just had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up and I definitely did not want to miss anything that I possibly could have been a part of.

When I began my journey in 2016 I spent the first year still suffering from FOMO and still trying to be involved in everything everyone else was doing and especially getting sucked in the black hell of Facebook. I bet it wasn’t until I actually had the balls to delete my Facebook account that I saw the full problems that I was dealing with inside myself. I shut myself off from the world, most importantly from Facebook. Of course I have an Instagram account, I have 4 actually, mine, my art, my blog and a side business I have and yes I do know that Facebook owns Instagram. I can describe the difference for me when it comes to FB and Instagram and I know everyone else can defend their own reasons for why the keep theirs or not keep theirs, but I am not here to debate or explain myself.

What I am here for is to try to make you think about yourself. The things I write about, the things I post on my many Instagrams and the things I say when others actually get to see me, I just want you to think about how the things I say pertain to you as an individual. I want you to reflect on yourself and your actions and see if there is some area of improvement. I’ve noticed sometimes the things I say seem very offensive to some and the same thing said to others isn’t offensive at all. I have found that those who usually get offended are only offended because whatever it was that was said rang true for them and some take that as me putting them down and those who don’t get offended by what I said own their flaws and are unscathed because they put forth the work to become mindful and aware of themselves. Those individuals that own their flaws and work hard everyday to pay attention to themselves or do the work to change or what have you are so inspiring to me.

Sometime in the last 2 years I vanished from everyone I know, I didn’t “vanish” literally, I just stopped making the effort to care so much about what everyone else was doing, I stopped contacting others first, I stopped responding, some I blocked and I finally started worrying only about myself. I took everything that “annoyed” me about other people and I started paying attention to myself and made notes of when I actually acted like those that “annoyed” me and I realized that those things annoyed me because I actually did them sometimes to others. I became mindful of myself instead of being aware of what everyone else was doing. I swear now when I am out in public or even in the presence of someone else I focus on my own behavior and emotions and my own thoughts and I like it. I have been able to change my entire outlook on so many things since I changed my focus on being more aware of myself than anything else around me.

These days I find myself busy doing things for me and not documenting them because I am busy enjoying myself and realizing the only thing I am missing out on is my own happiness because I thought someone else had the key to it in their pocket. I actually have my own key! It’s scary to take a look in the mirror at yourself and all your flaws but once you do, there is NO looking back. I am flawed like a mother fucker and I have never been happier in my entire life as I am right now. In the last 5 days I have put myself in the spot light more so than I have ever been (I failed speech class in high school due to not being able to lift my face up from my notes and make eye contact with the class) and two days ago I stood in my little booth of art and watched hundreds of supporters stop and talk to me and tell me my art was beautiful when I had really only shared it in pictures on Instagram. I took that step outside of fear and did what I wanted to do and I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it was absolutely terrifying!! 

I wish so many others had the strength to look at themselves and see that they are not perfect nor do they need to be and they don’t need to have a lot of material possessions or a lot of money and they especially do not need to boast about their accomplishments in order to be happy and be accepted. I wish so many could understand how freeing it is to be private and be the only one that knows what’s going on upstairs. Too many just walk around talking and talking and not really saying much. Too many give advice to others that they won’t even take themselves, unsolicited advice at that. Too many focused on what everyone else is doing instead of what they should be doing. It’s quite sad to me but I get it, I absolutely get it, because I too used to do it. I know we are all on our own journey and we all won’t come to these conclusions at the same time and because of this I cannot judge those who just think I am conceited, mean, or whatever negative thing I have been called in the last couple years. 

I left that art show Wednesday night a different person, I left with even more awareness of what I want and don’t want in my life and even more so I left with the strength to actually do something about it. Our lives can really change in one year, they really can. But life will only change if we get rid of all that holds us back, regardless of how much they may mean to us or how long we have known them. Our journey is our own and unfortunately some of us will have to leave behind the people and things that are keeping us from growing into all that we wish to become, regardless of our history with them. Some of us are lucky enough to have friends and family that recognize growth and change and want to grow and change with us and some of us have friends and family that just don’t want to grow and will do anything in their power to discourage us from becoming all that we should be. We all have both in our lives but it is up to us to figure out just how bad we want to grow in order to let the things go that hold us back. 

Again, as always, I am not a professional by all means except a professional listener and encourager, but I can see behind your mask so please don’t try to hide from me or I may have to walk away from you until you decide to take the mask off. I love you all and want nothing more than peace and love in this world as it is what will save us all. Let’s start by loving ourselves and  our own flaws, because we are worthy of our own love first and foremost. Rock my beauties! If you like what I write let me know, share it, comment on it. If you don’t, also let me know, share it any way but I am happy to keep doing my own thing with or without anyone else’s approval. Peace and Love!