Positively Real: Where Positivity & Struggle Coexist
Whether you're scrolling through inspirational IG posts or wellness hub Tiktoks, you're bound to come across some toxic positivity. Rather than absorbing it as your truth, try keeping it positively real.
When I first embraced being positive, I fell into the toxic positivity trap. I smushed down my feels and plastered on the fake smile. I didn't talk about the things that were hurting me because I didn't want to be a bummer AND I avoided people that I perceived as bummers because I didn't know how to set boundaries.
I was fully toxic in my positivity, dismissing my own and others' pain because I didn't know how to acknowledge the pain without being swallowed by it.
After years spent finding the balance and tripping all over myself in the process, here's what I learned:
Being real doesn't require you to drown in your pain (even if it's all you currently know).
Being positive doesn't mean there's no room for pain and struggle.
The balance is in being positively real:
Neither dismissing your pain nor sinking into it with no intention of climbing out
Acknowledging what's real while looking for the light
Asking for (and accepting) help when you don't know what to do
Having faith that you will pull through it even if it's really, really hard
One can be positive without being fake and toxic, and feeling negativity doesn't eliminate positivity. So bulk up your boundary muscles, get vulnerable with those you trust and keep the faith that no matter what you go through, you'll get through it.
Your friendly neighborhood silver lining realist,
Amy
Photo (cropped) by Jernej Graj on Unsplash