Why.

Why do we hide?

 

The world.

Influenced by the images we control,

That flash before our darkly lit eyes.

The ideas we have been forced to swallow all of our lives.

 

Tight mouths.

Tight eyes.

Don’t speak.

Just look.

Just follow.

 

We hide.

We hide behind our cameras and our phones and our flat screen TV’s

 

The images we post in eagerness

ones that have been filtered

ones that have been edited

ones that have been DisTorteD

 

We are told we are

To Fat

To Skinny

To Tall

To Short

We are told that our images show

Too much skin

They are too conservative

 

So. We hide.

 

We beileve what we are told.

We follow.

 

What happened to enjoying the company of others?

Instead we walk around, dead-brained

Clinging to the phones we take pictures with

Hands clenched in fear

 

We take pictures of the party we want all to see.

When in reality?

We don’t even remember it.

 

We hide

 

No one takes pictures of themselves in the morning

UnKept

UnDone

Vulnerable

 

No one wakes up and says,

“Wow I look like shit,

What a perfect Instagram pic!”

 

Why?

 

Because society tells us it’s easier to pretend we are perfect all the time

Society. The sinking feeling deep within ourselves,

The vulnerability that stares blankly back at us in the mirror,

Like our feet have been bound to the depths of the black ocean floor

And we are drowning.

 

What are we afraid of?

We let others in, through a small lens into our lives

When in reality, your life is so much more than that

more vast

more colorful

more passionate and beautiful,

than any camera could ever capture.

 

It may seem harsh...But

I am asking you to recognize

To appreciate

To believe

To see

 

The truth.

 

That we may hide.

But I promise you your life is valuable

Your life it more than your phone

It’s more than how many likes you get on your picture

 

You are beautiful

You are strong

You are unique

You. Are. Powerful.

 

So don’t limit yourself to the things you post

 

Limit yourself to the path of your heart

The dreams you feel running through your passion filled veins

 

Don’t let anyone tell you

that you aren’t

good enough

 

That you must hide behind the filters of society

To be accepted

 

The only filter that you need.

Is the filter of the warm and invasive sunset that is lit

inside of you

 

You are more than what we may hide behind.

You are Greater.