I am more than my to-do list

I think we all know the truth but don't want to admit it... Social media, websites, magazines, all of it have perfectly curated images of un-realistic color schemes, fabric, organized spaces, clean white couches, perfectly folded clothes, completed to-do lists, and we compare our lives to all of it.

Isn't it odd that we do this? We are lulled into thinking that we're not doing our jobs as women, moms, dads if our homes and lives aren't as dreamy or clean as these pictures? I mean, there are people getting paid to arrange items in a space just so they can be photographed to sell an idea or product. That is all it is. Life is not really like that, nor should it be. Why would we want to live in a museum?

On top of it, if you work with some pretty amazing women like I do, you constantly compare yourself to them. They have all of their copies made for the next two weeks, they were able to make cupcakes and host friends over to watch the latest episode of The Bachelor, and all had time to pick up kids, get in a workout, and return all of their emails.

What. The. Freak.

I cannot do this.

I want to live life enjoying the little moments and actually... living. Not to say that these women don't, but I certainly haven't been.

I am a full time teacher which is extremely fulfilling, I have a photography business, I sell art on Etsy, I have a son, and a wonderful man, and a wonderful family. We have everything, yet I feel like I am short on time, energy, and missing out on what other people are enjoying.

Why? I think that I am supposed to prove how much my life matches up with those curated photos, and the (made-up) lives that my peers live.

So what am I saying? Well stop it. I need to stop it. I want to work on this. Rebuild myself from the inside out, be more vulnerable, and DO LESS. One book that helped me with this is is Present Over Perfect. The author, Shauna Niequist stresses the change in perspective. It so helped me realize that I only have one life and when I do say yes, I should say it to the things that are truly important.

Doing less does not mean that I am lazy or that I have less value than someone else. It just means that I am savoring cuddles, watching the sunset... living life.

It means that rather than stay up to get caught up or ahead on emails, that I will workout, plan meals, treat my body better. My body is what allows me to do all of the amazing things in life... why beat it up?

What am I pleading for you to do? Realize this too. We are worth so much more than completing our to-do list.

What do you do to help you re-align your perspective? When you show that you're not perfect, you give others permission to feel okay being themselves too. This is me saying you have permission to just be you.

xo

- Casi