I’ve been annoyed lately.
Mostly because I’ve been irritated and haven’t talked about it. Which is kinda my rule (if I think it, I need to say it).. 
So. Today’s the day.
Here’s what I need to say:
The woman you follow on Facebook that is constantly sharing how much money she makes, posting pictures of her gorgeous view of the ocean (right from her bedroom window), showing off the new pair of $5,000 shoes she just bought yesterday…
What she’s not telling you is that she’s stressed as fuck.
She’s lonely and wishes she had more friends (or a partner) to share her amazing life with.
What she’s not telling you is that she has a horrible relationship with her parents and always feels guilty about it.
What you don’t see is how much she has to talk herself up before she does that new livestream she promised you, self-conscious beyond belief about the 5 extra pounds she’s gained in the past 2 months due to stress-eating.
She gets hate mail every day and has people steal her work and sell it as their own, on the regular.
What’s being left out of her messaging is that she’s freaking out about money, terrified that today is the day she finally goes off the deep end.
What you don’t see, don’t know, don’t even REALIZE, is that even though it appears that she’s perfect and her life is perfect, you’re only hearing one part of the story.
The part she wants you to see.
You see the highlight reel. The perfect photos. The vacations. The fancy purses.
And to be clear –
There’s nothing wrong with someone showing the highlight reel of their life. It’s inspiring as fuck to see someone living an amazing life that you’d also love to live.
But when it starts to blur the lines of ethical and not, that’s when I can keep quiet no more.
It’s
The truth is that no one’s life is perfect. Ever. Everyone has shit they’re going through, at all times.
Sometimes the shit pile is big.
Sometimes the shit pile is small.
But the shit is always there, stankin’ up the room.
Be wary of people who make it seem like everything is always awesome, all of the time. They’re often the ones who have the biggest shit pile of ’em all. 
We need more REAL leaders.
Leaders who lead by BEING real. By sharing the whole, messy truth about what it takes to make it.
We need leaders who share the inspirational stuff, yes, of course, but also, and just as frequently, share the vulnerable stuff that makes them fucking HUMAN.
People connect with other people.
If all you’re posting is “look how awesome my life is” posts on social media, you look like a phony. And no one trusts a phony.
Be you.
Be all of you.
Allow yourself to show you full self with the world. It’s who we’ve been waiting for. 
xx,
Cassie