“Smile, don’t let them know you’re struggling.”
That’s what Kemi whispered to herself before taking another selfie.
She smiled brightly, clicked “upload,” and within seconds, hearts and comments flooded in.
“Pretty!” “Soft life!” “You’re glowing!”
But nobody knew she cried that morning over unpaid bills.
Nobody saw the anxiety behind that beautiful picture.
She was glowing but not from joy, from exhaustion.
That’s the pressure of appearance,
looking fine while falling apart.
Trying to prove you’re okay because the world only applauds success stories.
We’ve made life a stage performance,
smiling in public, breaking in private.
We filter our pain but post our progress,
forgetting that healing happens when we stop pretending.
Dear one, it’s okay not to glow all the time.
It’s okay to have silent seasons where nothing looks beautiful but everything is being built.
Because the truth is, real growth doesn’t always look attractive; sometimes it looks like waiting, praying, and crying your way through.
You don’t owe the world a perfect picture.
You owe yourself peace.
So take off the pressure.
You’re allowed to rest.
You’re allowed to be real.
You’re allowed to live without performing.
Because when you finally shine,
it will not be for validation,
but as evidence of grace that sustained you through the quiet storms.
Happy new month FAM
Temilade Alokan
Light Lamp
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