the importance of being earnest.

I always say this: showing emotion doesn’t make you weak. If anything, it makes us courageous, makes us strong. That we’re able to convey things most people have a hard time even realizing. For as long as I can remember, I have NEVER been able to hide my emotions. My face tells ALL – and when I say ALL, I literally mean all. There’s a running joke in my house, if my forehead is scrunched and my eyebrows are low, everyone in my house is thinking “stay clear from Fatima,” not much of a joke actually. My mother instantly knows when I am I am not feeling well. My sister knows when I am in deep thought. My brother always knows when I don’t like something, because he claims my “stank face” is on 85 percent of the time.

My point is, I’m an open book. People always tell me it’s not a good thing and perhaps that’s true. Over the years though, I realize more and more how it is extremely important to be honest – especially to yourself. I get it, there are times we don’t want to think about certain aspects of our lives because it becomes too real, but that’s exactly it, its OUR life, it is REAL. Face your demons, face your thoughts. You don’t need to live your life pretending things will go away if we don’t face it. Spend less time running away from your problems and trying to rid yourself of them, instead spend time accepting the problems as an inevitable, natural part of life. Bottling up your emotions is never the answer.

Be honest to yourself and to the world. Stop being fake. It is one the of ugliest traits you can have. It is SO liberating, when you tell someone no without having to explain yourself, it is SO liberating when someone asks how you feel about something and you answer honestly. It is SO liberating to say how you feel, with tact of course – because rudeness and cruelty is ALSO an ugly trait.

Be genuine. Be real. Be honest. Be yourself. Stop pleasing the world. How can anyone give others happiness when they can’t even be honest with themselves? How can someone genuinely care for your emotions when they can’t even face their own?

Take ownership of your words, your thoughts, your emotions. Only then you can live a fulfilling life.

I have been liberated.