I envisioned a different life than my current reality. Lately, I’ve been working to stop the “shame playback loop” in my mind. Challenging myself to unpack where this heavy sense of self-judgment is even coming from. Then it clicked. A photo exhibit I once saw said “We tell ourselves stories in order to live” and I realized…

Majority of my life, I constructed a “dream life story” in my head based on the realities around me.

The media I consume.
The stars I admire.
The books I’ve read.
The classic Friends crew.
The perfect Rom Com romance (often mixed with a twisted love story)
The lavish lifestyle of reality TV shows.

The list goes on.
And I know I’m not alone.

Many of us collect pieces of what we’ve processed our entire lives and attempt to craft together the life “we’ve always wanted”. Though IS it the life we’ve always wanted? What exactly are we using to gauge what we actually want in life? Creating stories in our heads is a rush, but even more so a placeholder. We tend to focus on what could be, because we don’t want to face the realities in front of us. There’s comfort in daydreaming. It’s almost like a safe space. For us to satisfy our desires, without facing uncertainty or consequences. We can imagine what things could be like allll day long, but guess what?

We don’t know how we feel until we actually do them.

We CAN dream and there is absolutely nothing wrong with imagining life in endless capacities; it just requires balance. We can be inspired, but blend our imagination with practicality. Our life does not have to be exactly like our favorite movie, social account, TV show, or otherwise. Our story may not have unfolded the way we thought, but it doesn’t mean it’s not happening the way we need it to. Let’s take what we’re experiencing right now and squeeze the lessons out of it. What is helping us while we’re uncomfortable? What is growing old while we commit to change? Sometimes, we have to be where we are to realize more about ourselves. Don’t put a period where a comma can exist.

Our life story isn’t over, so let’s keep living while we write it.

Sending love and light always. <3

Sincerely,
Shelbs

Listen to the blog narrated in an audio story here!