Pretending

Many of us are pretending in our lives but we may not even realize it. Sometimes we think we have to pretend in order to get along with others, sometimes we do it because we are avoiding something, and sometimes we do it to get what we want. The problem with pretending is that it can quickly become a habit, and it has consequences.

Some of the ways the we pretend:

-People pleasing

-Invalidating our own feelings

-Overlooking situations that cause us unhappiness

-Saying one thing but feeling something else

-Acting like we don’t want or need something

Pretending is not a sustainable strategy! We can only do it for so long before it leads to feeling overwhelmed and stressed. We start to dismiss how we really feel and how we really see things. We lose our authenticity, our true vision and our genuine connections.

Letting go of pretending is one of the most liberating things we can do for ourselves and others. Any step we take to become more honest helps create more happiness and peace in our lives. We can start with self-honesty. We can honor what we are feeling, get in touch with what we want, and be willing to see what is really happening around us. We can also extend this to others by become more authentic in our relationships. There are many actions we can do to bring more honesty into our own life. Each time we do, we are empowering our lives and the lives of those we touch.