The No. 1 Secret Perfect People Aren’t Telling You

We all know know those few people who have it all. Perfect house, perfect car, perfect body, perfect job, perfect life. Everything about them is perfect, and they make it look so easy. In a world fueled by social media and Photoshop, the perfects’ secret stays concealed.

You know that one guy? The one with with the perfect “unkempt” do, and the expensive loft in WeHo or SoBe? Or the 35-year-old CEO with rock-hard abs and a knockout girlfriend? If you don’t, let me introduce you to him; he’s perfect. His career is perfect, his body is perfect, and his crib is disgustingly perfect (thanks to the maid).

Perfect, according to our presumption. It’s what we see, so it’s what we think. But there’s just a few things we don’t know about Mr. Perfect: he hates his hair, he misses home, his job rules his life, and his girlfriend is a gold-digging bitch. Here’s the secret he refuses to tell anyone: Life isn’t easy; it’s actually really, really hard.

Meet Ms. Perfect — the girl with a law degree, perfect hair, perfect skin, perfectly-toned body, married to the perfect man. Everything about her is perfect, including her social media sites. All we see is a perfectly-content woman living a perfect life.

Here’s what we don’t see: she passed the bar, but can’t find a decent job, her hair is 50% extensions, she doesn’t eat, and her husband is a cheater. She’s become an expert at keeping the perfects’ secret — Life isn’t easy; it’s actually really, really hard.

You know the family who eats together every night? The one with the perfect kids, who live in the perfect house. Every picture you see of them, they’re on a family vacation? They obviously have a genius child, because every other post is about something miraculous their kid accomplished in school? That family. The perfect family…

This perceived perfect family is not what you think. Those family vacations are just distractions from the disappointment in the lack of grandparents in their children’s lives. That genius child is actually autistic; and those posts are a coping mechanism for an anxious mom. Pictures can be deceiving, because life isn’t easy; it’s actually really, really hard.

I don’t know Mr. or Ms. Perfect, and I don’t know this perfect family. But I do know plenty of people whose life revolves around keeping this perfect secret.

People may tell you the key to finding a good job is networking. But they won’t tell you how hard it is to build those relationships, earn trust, and actually land (and keep) a job. People will probably tell you the best way to lose weight is to eat right and exercise. But they won’t elaborate on the struggles, or how long it really takes to look “perfect”.

In a world fueled by social media and Photoshop, I am here to tell you it’s all one big secret — Life isn’t easy; it’s actually really, really hard. And you are so much better than you think you are. Take it from Aibileen Clark: “You is kind, you is smart, you is important.” 😉

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