I feel really lucky that one of my closest, oldest mates, Caroline of ShapeShifters Leeds is my Personal Trainer.
Not only because she kicks my ass on a weekly basis, and seeing her on a Tuesday means I actually stick to working out solo throughout the week but because in our dedicated exercise hour each week, we get to put the world to rights whilst getting sweaty.
Releasing endorphins whilst working through issues allows me to vent emotionally as well as physically and I leave feeling healthier in mind as well as body.
Take this morning which saw us discuss the fact we were basically born honest, and are direct women who know our minds and are not afraid to speak up. We are hopefully not insensitive, just true to who we are and unafraid to share that with others.
That’s why I do what I do right here as a blogger and vlogger. You guys know the real me. I couldn’t fake who I am even if I wanted to. It’s not my style.
Honest Mum by name, Honest Mum by nature and all that.
Perhaps being a Northerner helps too, Yorkshire folk tend to call a spade a spade (although this is not, of course a dig at anyone outside of these geographical parts, just watch Emmerdale if you don’t believe me.
Yorkshire peeps are known for not mincing their words. Full stop. I personally think that’s an admiral quality to have.
People know where they stand with you. They trust you. I’m a creator not a faker. Not online nor in real life.
I think my Greek Cypriot heritage plays a part in that too, as with all of us, our parent’s influence affects who we are and how we behave.
Talking, and inevitably sometimes shouting about our problems and working through them has been a running theme here since childhood. It’s actually healthy to share.
The organisation Lifeline states that talking helps when it comes to sorting out problems: ‘Communication is the key and often the first step to finding solutions. Be calm and honest about your concerns when discussing your problems with a loved one’.
Not everyone accepts those who speak up when they feel hurt or who disagree with others, standing their ground, fighting for their beliefs, but I would rather reach out to those I care about when I’m unhappy than let bad vibes fester leading to ruined relationships. I expect the same from those who value me to. Vanilla Ice got it right. If there was a problem, yo I’ll solve it…
It’s a balance, of course it is. It’s about choosing your battles, making allowances for others (you can never know the sh** people are going through behind closed doors or even on smiley social pics), and vitally, you need to BE YOURSELF.
Accept who you are, commit to ongoing growth, apologise when you f*** up (you’re human, it’s normal to get angry and frustrated at times) and learn when to walk away and when to stick around and work through issues.
Remember you can like and even, love others who are simply not good for you and it takes great strength to admit that and close the door.
Equally, nurturing those who deserve your time and energy and being honest when issues arise is ALWAYS the BEST way to be. Not everyone will appreciate your honesty but it leads to healthier, more meaningful relationships down the line.
Psychologist Karen Pine of Do Something Different, sheds more light on this,
Stop holding your emotion in for it will eat you up. I’m teaching my kids the same. To own their feelings, to share their discomfort and to reach out when they need to.
I’d love to read your thoughts.
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I totally agree that honesty is the best policy always. It can be hard sometimes knowing the right words to use in sensitive situations I find. But I think many a break up can be down to people not standing up for themselves or being totally honest with the other person. Great blog post. As always. ?
I agree with so much of this. I am a talker when I am upset or hurt or happy too! I like to express my feelings rather than wait and have it build up. Great post and Vanilla Ice gave me a big chuckle!
Wow, great post. And probably why I like reading your work so much is that you are honest – I gravitate to that honesty. Stay who you are! Thanks, Vicki! #BrillBlogPosts
Aw thanks so much Lisa, that means a lot to me xx
All the love for this amazing post… so super insightful and really amazing advice <3 #brilliantblogposts
That means a lot, thanks Rebecca x
I love this! A great reminder of all the habits and qualities that make life better.
Thank you. So important to be yourself xx
Definitely agree with you! I try so hard to be honest. Especially online. It can be so easy to lie and pretend everything is perfect when sometimes life isn’t – that’s why I write about the good and the bad times. Hoping to teach my kids to be the same! #brillblogposts
So vital, for ourselves and for our readers who we help feel less alone with our words xx
I do believe that honesty is the best policy! I appreciate it when people are honest, even if it’s something you do not want to hear! x
Same hun x
honesty is the best policy. I try and be as honest with myself as I can now #brillblogposts
I agree whole heartedly and I loved this post! I try very hard to express myself honestly & can sense it when I’m not being true to myself. Thanks for sharing the tips & for all you do, L xx
I agree with this blog post whole heartedly. Sometimes people think they are protecting you by hiding things, but I think it is respectful to be treated like a strong women who would like to make up her own mind when facing the truth. I love your comment ‘I’m a creator, not a faker’. I can really relate x #BrilliantBlogPosts
Honesty is really important, I agree, but there are times when actually I know that I need to bite my tongue. With my ex, for example, I don’t say everything that I think and feel. It would be counter-productive and would damage the relationship that we are trying to maintain for our son. It is tough though. Sometimes, for your own personal sanity and mental health, you need to get things out of your head and onto a page, or to share your thoughts and feelings with others. For me, that is what blogging and close friends and family are for…whether they like it or not. thanks Pen x
lol Vanilla Ice is always on point 😉 Great post and absolutely that’s one of the things I love about you, the fact that you speak your mind and share from the heart. Even when it’s come with uncomfortable or even quite difficult situations, it’s always from a good place and you’re right, most things are better worked out in the open than suffered in silence. It’s a lifelong lesson for me as I’m much more of a closed book in terms of my emotions, and tend to fester and stew (adding to my anxiety issues)… but I’m working on making sure I share more, especially when it’s something that is affecting my relationships deeply. It’s especially important that we teach our kids these tools too, so I’m very open with the boys and hope we’ll always be able to chat about absolutely anything. Appreciating and celebrating individuality is something we hold dear though, so definitely being yourself and expressing yourself is a big part of our family ethos. Great post as always x
Yes to all of that Uju and do reach out and share, I am always here to chat and work through stuff and I feel so grateful to have you in my life to do the same. Vanilla Ice is everything xx
Honesty is always the best policy! I really hate liars and will always only speak the truth. I know some people who twist what they say and I will never trust them because of it. It can be hard to sometimes share true feelings with others and be honest in this way, especially when they have upset or frustrated me about something. I’m too worried about upsetting them back and often keep these feelings to myself to avoid conflict!
I’ve just included psychologist Karen Pine’s advice on how to do this. It can be so hard to broach others when they’ve caused pain but I love her tips in expressing yourself without hopefully hurting the other person x