It takes more strength to show your vulnerability than showing your best.

These words came to my mind while i was thinking of this last days of quarantine. Being closed home is a way to force yourself to stop running and connect on a deeper level  with your life.
I often think that we keep ourselves busy because this is the easiest thing to do, it is for sure easier than having an open heart talk, spending a whole day closed at home trying to be creative and entertain the kids, or even asking yourself the questions that you prefer to avoid, like: What am i doing? Where am i headed? What is my purpose? And mostly : Am i happy with my life?
It's natural for us as human beings, avoiding the stretch and going for the things we know best. Then, showing to the world how nice we look, how much we enjoy, how great we feel. Perfect photos from the right angle with filters and effects, but what is really happening inside of you? What would an unfiltered, usual you look like in a photo?

In a world of show and competition, be brave enough to introduce your real and vulnerable self! Truth creates trust and connection, people aren't perfect and they don't have to be. It is our imperfection that makes us unique, be proud of your imperfection and never loose the ability to laugh at yourself, smile often, enjoy life and be a confident and authentic imperfect person, the world needs you the way you are in this moment!

I am happy to share these days with my family , but that doesn't mean i am happy all the time, i get angry, i am tired and i find it hard to have some "Me Time". If i would take a true picture of me right now it would for sure look a mess, but i know a lot of you would have the same tired, confused and messy picture, and this is perfectly fine, each one of us has its own part of a unique beautiful mess.
We are living in an extraordinary situation, being inside with little or no social interaction affects each one of us, mixed feelings and an uncertain future is a great starting point to self-doubt or putting into question previous decisions.

What can we do  to stop self-sabotaging and use this time so that it can serve us instead ?

1. Accept the situation and do your best to find things you enjoy to do during the day, make them happen. Create a list of things you enjoy and do them every day. When you feel low on energy just take out the list and pick something that gives you joy

2. Stop with the self-judgment in your head and allow yourself time to be unproductive, this will help you access your creativity more easily and be more inspired later

3. Don't let the distraction created by new circumstances take over. Stick to your plan and continue working from home, even if it is just a little, it's better than nothing. Day by day you will understand that you will feel better every time you do things you used to do before and continue working to achieve your goals.

4. Don't compare yourself to others, remember the unfiltered picture of you? Rarely people share that! Keep your sight ahead, be an inspiration instead of searching for inspiration!

5. Acknowledge yourself for everything you did today, and plan what you need to do tomorrow in order to feel happy with yourself. From positive affect it comes creativity and creativity brings action.

Being true and authentic doesn't necessarily mean to shout out to the world who you really are, it mostly means to accept and love yourself, be confident about your strengths and be able to laugh at yourself when you mess it up. In this unpredictable world taking things too seriously is an unnecessary cost, everything changes and so do our challenges, but it's only if we maintain a strong bond with what really matters to us that we can be proactive and adapt to change successfully!