Dear readers, if you don't mind -- I'm having a bit of a complex today. It's called the mirror vs. the camera (or reality vs. that evil voice in your head). And today I'm going to stop it.
The camera says "your shirt is untucked and your skirt is wrinkled." The mirror said "I like that outfit! You should wear this one again."
The camera says "hey Kendi -- your scarf is lopsided, again."The mirror said "What a great new way to wear an old scarf!"
The camera says "Your hair is out of place!" The mirror said "You should wear your hair like this more often, it shows off your pretty face."
The camera says "Did you know you have crow's feet already?" The mirror said "You look happy and carefree."
You see, when I go through pictures to edit, I tend pick myself apart. It's not a lack of confidence* but rather an over abundance of perfection with a side of fear. Fear to put myself out there every day just as I am. I fret over an untucked shirt (is it too sloppy to post?) or a misplaced hair. But the reality is, this is what you'd get if you saw me in real life. You'd get the slightly wrinkled, un-edited version of Kendi Everyday. I'm a little bit shy, a little bit messy, a lot awkward and I'm really bad at telling jokes. But I'm real and that is the very best thing I can possibly be.
So today I declare to stop picking at the small things and to look at the bigger picture. To my camera, keep taking real pictures. To my mirror, keep telling me the truth. And to that mean voice in my head, please move out. No one liked you anyways.
*No need to leave ego-boosting comments below. I just needed to remind myself of the truth, thanks for letting me do that here. You can however tell me that this happens to you, that would be nice.
