WHAT, DID YOU READ THAT RIGHT?

What? Did you read that right? Yep, you sure did! See in this crazy, chaotic, a million miles an hour world it’s easy to get sucked into the illusion that everyone has it made, everyone else has their shit together. I mean come on, you and I are surrounded by overnight success stories, picture perfect 2.4 children families, women who run multiple empires all whilst raising little darlings, little darlings who, in a nano second will be a YouTube sensation and have more IG followers than Beyonce, (I mean seriously Gordon Ramsey’s youngest had over 65,000 followers when he was born!).

Ladies, if you’re like me maybe you don’t rise out of bed eyes glistening with a face of perfect make up, hair perfectly coiffed, floating downstairs to prepare freshly squeezed orange juice for your little angels who get up, get dressed and are ready for school on time with clean faces and a beaming Smile. Seriously, even as I type that I’m laughing at the irony. And guys, I know you don’t wake up like the god that is David Beckham as he looks on the front cover of GQ. So, let’s add a dash of real talk…

See my morning is typically this:

●      Wake up (I may snooze, I may not. I may journal, I may not - I’m flexible aka easily distracted);
●      Listen to something motivational (my power playlist is the bomb) whilst;
●      I peel myself into a gym kit that looks like a toddler has matched the items (think less Gym Shark and more Baby Shark);
●      Throw hair into a messy bun that looks less ‘boho chic’ and more ‘dragged through hedge’;
●      Check face for remnants of last nights mascara;
●      Go attempt wake the dead (aka the boy);
●      Continue to get stuff together whilst thinking of the million tabs that are open in my brain;
●      Leave the house knowing I’ve forgotten something.

It’s not quite the perfect social media start to the day, but it’s ok, it’s more than ok, it works, it’s real and it’s autopilot. See I could be a bit more obsessive but why, why would I use my energy creating a perfect energy draining 30 minutes. After all, this crazy routine that’s repeated 5 days a week is OUR routine.

I could go on about all the ways I fail compared to A.N.Other woman before I’ve even left the house and before 6.30am, but it doesn’t &^%$ing matter! See whilst I’m there doing my best impression of Chris Pratt in Jurassic Park when he’s taming the raptors, there’s some other woman out there looking at me and thinking she’s a failure because she doesn’t start her day going to the gym, she doesn’t have the confidence to leave the house without makeup, she doesn’t ______________ [fill in the blanks].

The bottom line is, we all feel like we are failing at some point. Ladies, we all feel like some other woman (be it a celeb, a friend or some random IG profile) has her shit together because she is doing something we aren’t or can’t (more on that can’t thing in another blog). And I know from the amazing male friends that I surround myself with that they feel the pressure too.

We live in a crazy world where we can easily feel a failure for what we have or don’t have, and where the pressure to have more is off the scale. It’s fast paced, never ending, with next to no down time to celebrate the wins or take stock of the learnings. When you look around and see other women and men seemingly having it all, clicking their fingers and having, doing and experiencing with (perceived) ease, what do you think?

● Who is that person you admire and just maybe are a little envious of?

● Why do you feel like this?

● Do you think their life is perfect?

Now in case you answered ‘Yes’ to the last question, said with all the love in my ❤️; “Wake Up!”.

Ladies I’ll speak for us ,I can guarantee you that there is no way this woman doesn’t have her own demons. Maybe she has a perfect body, but maybe she sacrifices nights out and a slice of pizza. Maybe she looks like she has the perfect relationship, but maybe she cries at night knowing her husband is unable to keep it in his pants. Maybe she has a successful business, but maybe she’s gutted that she again had to miss her Child's sports day. But, on the flip side … Maybe she has no interest in parties. Maybe she has the (near) perfect relationship with a man she adores. Maybe she misses the sports day but is there for every other event. Maybe, just maybe she works at all of these things, maybe she balances, maybe there’s a trade off, absolutely she has and will continue to fail. And guys, I know you suffer the ‘failure fix’ too. We all do.

Put simply, we all fail. Life’s choices are a trade off. Sometimes we make an uncomfortable choice for the long game. Sometimes we accept the now because the priority means the time isn’t right. Sometimes we say or do something that we then regret. Sometimes we don’t say or do something that we often regret.

It’s a tough pill to swallow (especially at the time) but failure is a choice and we should choose it! What’s your alternative? Continue to sit watching others?! Oh HELL NO!!

Remember when I said that whilst I’m there taming the raptors there’s another woman feeling a failure for not getting out of bed to the gym? Well you too have people watching you. Without knowing it YOU inspire others. Take that in, read it out loud … “YOU INSPIRE OTHERS” … again … “YOU INSPIRE OTHERS” …

For yourself, for those around you, for those watching from the sidelines, even for the haters, KEEP FAILING. KEEP FAILING FORWARD. I’M WITH YOU.

LJ