Let's Be Real

 Being “real” isn’t easy. I will be the first to tell you that it’s not easy. I’m the person who holds everything inside. I’m the person who, when you ask how I am or if everything is okay, will tell you that everything’s fine even if its not.  I am learning though it’s better not to be that way. When we are real, we put ourselves out in the open for everyone to see. Sometimes, it’s not pretty. I’ve got some stuff going on right now and I’m learning that when I’m real, it’s easier to work through. I’ve realized that there is a process of being real. First we have to be real with ourselves. Then we have to be real with God. And finally we have to be real with others.

Being Real With Yourself:

Being real with yourself is, at least for me, the hardest step in all of this. In order to be real with ourselves, we have to admit things that we may not like. Being real with ourselves might bring up feelings that aren’t pleasant. Me personally, I would rather bury my feelings and move on instead of dealing with them. This normally gets me nowhere. I end up having to deal with them later, whether it is days later or years later.

Being Real With God:

Being real with God is really important. He already knows everything, but I feel like it’s important to let Him know how you are feeling. If you aren’t real with God then you will never get real peace and/or freedom. A lot of the time when I am real with God, its about a doubt I have or not understanding what He is doing. Admitting that I am doubtful in God’s plan is like a stab to the heart for me. I know God has everything planned out, but I’m human, sometimes I need reassurance. When I’m not real with God, it just keeps building, and building until I finally confess it all to Him, which usually ends with me a teary mess. It feels so good though, laying it all out on the table with God! Once you get it off your chest, a weight is lifted and it feels as though you can breath again!

Being Real With Others:

Being real with others is also pretty hard. For me, it’s like admitting my weaknesses and I don’t like to look weak. Most of the time I feel ashamed to look weak. I want to be strong! But when we are real with others, we are allowing ourselves to trust. And maybe they will know just what to say to you. Maybe they have been through what you’re going through and can give you advice on how to get through it. Maybe you just need someone to hug you, or cry with you, or agree with you. But, unless we are real with others, no one will ever know what we need.

Like I said earlier, I’m the one who holds everything inside. I’m the person who, when you ask how I am or if everything is okay, will tell you that everything’s fine even if its not.  But I am working on being more real. Recently I was told I need to work on being more transparent. I don’t know if being more transparent is the word. I need to be more open and more real.