Blogging has completely changed from what it was a decade ago.
For the most part, I’m happy with how blogging has progressed and evolved into a professional platform where we can work with brands to effectively market and spread meaningful messages to our communities.
But change always leaves behind some good stuff.
One of the biggest casualties of the evolution of blogging is reality.
We lost reality.
We gained pretty pictures and polished posts, but we lost getting to see behind the scenes and relate to each other’s struggles.
I suppose not all bloggers left that behind… but as a whole, the blogosphere traded in ugly truths for pretty inspirations.
And like I said, I’m all for pretty inspiration. I enjoy scrolling through lovely Instagram feeds.
But the new blogosphere and the photo-edited social media feeds can lead us to perfectionism and make us feel inadequate and alone.
[Tweet “Bloggers traded in ugly truths for pretty inspirations. Now we feel inadequate and alone.”]
So I wanted to pause our normal broadcasting for an old style blog post where I vent about my reality in order to release some of the pressure building within my own brain and remind you that other bloggers are so. far. from. perfect.
The Ugly Reality of My Life Right Now
First of all, I know that I’m lucky and I shouldn’t complain. Almost all of us are ridiculously spoiled when compared with most of the world.
And I’m not actually complaining… I just realize that it might sound that way, so I want to preface my words with that disclaimer.
I’m blessed. I have two daughters that I love indescribably. I live in the beautiful, peaceful, West Coast of Canada. And I get to work at home doing something that I love.
Life sounds pretty good, right?
It is.
Except…
I’m a single mom, battling depression, living in one of the most expensive places in the world, keeping up with a business that daily demands an inside view into a life of perfection and trying to make enough money to pay for a good life for my children while trying to simultaneously spend my precious time and attention on those beloved children.
So basically every day feels like failure.
I have everything, but I just can’t keep everything going and stay happy while doing it.
But I try.
Here is what my day looks like…
I drag myself out of bed, try to count my blessings, make school lunches, make breakfast, walk my kids to school, ignore the mess building up around me as I write and pin blog posts with pretty pictures, pick my kids up from school, take them to sports activities, help with homework, make dinner, read to them, and try to convince them to go sleep. Then I either pass out from exhaustion or prop myself back up in front of my computer to work late into the night.
So you see, my reality doesn’t look like a polished parenting blog.
But that’s okay.
I just want you to know what my life really looks like and maybe that will make you feel better if your life doesn’t look like a pinnable image.
The reality is my carpet is stained and covered in toys, but if we just zoom in tight enough, all you have to see is the laughter and lip gloss… and really, that’s mostly what I want my kids to remember anyway.
Written by Susan Carraretto, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
Pin with me at pinterest.com/5minutesformom
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Hello, Susan!
I am coming from a very far country on the eastern side of the world from you.
But…
I tell you that you’re not alone.
I am a blogger myself and my life is exactly circled around.
My routine is just have stuck me into it.
The more I try to get out of it, the more it pushes me back.
So how much and whatever I try to do, I am so stuck in it.
I wish you the best of luck to have a fun blogging!
~ Adeel
I definitely needed to read this, so thank you for being real and sharing this.
Thanks for sharing. I also always feel better if I write about something or tell a friend. Trying to maintain “perfect” doesn’t help anyone!
I love the opportunities that blogging has created for so many, but I miss that community of connection as well. It’s still there, but it’s definitely different.
I always wonder if bloggers are self aware…. at least you are!
Girl. I feel ya. I have had a few people say that my life looks glamorous. It makes me snort coffee out my nose. I do love what I do and I love this space. But yeah, the illusion of perfection gets really old sometimes.
Hang in there, friend! xoxo
Your life DOES look glamorous… your Instagram feed is sooooo stunning. I was actually showing your feed to my daughter last night and saying how I’m so jealous of you. (But in a good way… LOL)
Awesome post, thank you for sharing! I loved reading it and knowing I’m not alone in not having a completely Pinterest-worthy life and home!
Thanks! I’m so happy the post helped you feel less alone in not having a Pinterest perfect home.
Pinterest is my favorite social platform, but I usually end up feeling overwhelmed after spending too much time on it. I continually remind myself how much staging and photo-editing goes into most of the images. It’s so important to not let ourselves compare our reality to other people’s polished photos.
(And again, I’m all for photo-editing. Many of the photos of me you may see online have been edited to lighten the bags under my eyes etc.)
Thank you for sharing this post. I think you will find that you are not alone in what you are feeling.
Thanks Jackie. It’s funny how writing out your feelings really does help. I actually felt a lot better after blogging about this.
Thank you for sharing something that must be very difficult to confess. You’re not alone – I have often felt that my days are multiple failures but I just take it one day at a time and hope for a something to give eventually.
I wish the same for you – that you find some happiness and peace ♥
Thank you!!! Yes, taking it one day at a time is the only way.