“I think your heart’s in the right place, it’s just that your perpetual positivity on social media feels toxic to me. Nobody should be that happy all the time.”
Dear one,
This comment was sent to me anonymously a few days ago. I sat with it over the weekend because I wanted to understand it and whether or not it felt valid. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that it doesn’t apply to me.
Thirteen months ago I began taking medication to ease my depression and anxiety. Before I did, there were entire weeks when finding something positive on which to focus is more exhausting than a 12-hour work day. I’m not perpetually happy, nor am I perpetuating “toxic positivity”. I simply understand that I have a finite amount of energy, and I choose not to hand it over to unproductive negative behavior.
I strive to provide a realistic and deeply personal glimpse into my life, for better or for worse. Good News Fridays come around once a week as a reminder not to lose sight of the good in our lives, even if they are seemingly small wins. Good News Fridays started as a way for me to combat my depression, and to hold myself accountable for balancing the negative with the positive.
If I come across as less-than-genuine, please know that every word of every one of these love letters to you come from my heart. They aren’t phoned in, and I contemplate and meditate on each and every entry topic with the goal of providing something uplifting and useful. If you’re reading this, dear commenter, I mean every word.
Never forget that I love you, and that excludes no one.
Love,
