“Real Life”
I struggled with the title of this website in the beginning. Fake blonde I am, there’s no arguing that. But I was concerned people may look at my life and think: “her life is not ‘real life.’ She lives in a fancy house, she’s engaged to a celebrity, she doesn’t have to worry about anything. WTF does she know about REAL LIFE?” And I get that. I get how that looks from the outside. But everyone has their ups and downs, struggles and challenges, pains and sorrows. I am no different, but I’m not here to get into that. It’s true that in so many ways I am incredibly fortunate, and I don’t take any of it for granted. In fact, I often feel guilty about living a relatively happy life. I wasn’t raised with wealth and will never list wealth among the things that are important to me. But in the list of things that are most important – love, family, friends and health – I am rich, and for that I am eternally grateful.
A Little Background
Despite having a college degree, the encouragement of my loved ones, and “connections” many would think would make my life “easy,” I’ve actually really struggled to find my niche in the world. I’m artistic at heart, that I know about myself. I want to help people, that’s always been a priority. I’ve worked in a variety of jobs across multiple disciplines, taken continuing education classes for years, gotten licences, mentors, agents, managers, and am currently working (or trying to get work) in three totally different industries simultaneously. I’m not afraid of hard work or perseverance, and I hate nepotism – I’m not looking to be handed anything, I want to earn things on my own merit. But I’ve only ever had glimpses of that feeling inside that says “okay, this is my true purpose being fulfilled.” Unfortunately those moments are few and far between.
Why I’m Here
I grew up watching Oprah every day religiously and she always talked about “finding your passion” in life. Unfortunately, pursuing my passions has led me to some pretty dead ends thus far… and I know I’m not alone, I hear this same struggle from friends all the time. Honestly, this struggle was the impetus behind the creation of Fake Blonde Real Life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not giving up on these other career paths entirely. However, it is SO refreshing to put my time and effort and heart into something, and not have to wait for someone else to tell me it’s “good enough” or that I’M “good enough.” I have often wished I had the stomach to be a doctor, the mind to be a lawyer for human rights, the bravery to work as a wartime journalist, the calling to be a teacher or the strength to be on the “front lines.” I envy these people who can go to bed each night knowing they’ve made a difference. Even the cashier or the sanitation worker or the receptionist – maybe these people don’t all feel they’ve found their passions but I see them making important contributions in their own ways. I guess my point is: I want to feel I’m contributing too, and I hope this site will be a step in the right direction.
Real Life Goals
It wouldn’t mean as much to me to have a “platform” (no matter how small it may be) if I didn’t use it to try and help others. There are times when I’m researching a charity organization, and then remember I’ve written a post about my hair problems. Admittedly, the latter feels like pointless drivel in comparison to helping people who are struggling to survive. But there’s also no shame in being good to ourselves, and feeling good, and taking steps to nurture our bodies and minds. We can help others and ourselves. I seek out help and suggestions from other people I trust, and am honored that someone might look to me for advice as well. And so this site is a combination of many different topics, but all come from a place of honesty and good intentions.
I hope you’ll read about something here that strikes a chord with you. I hope you’ll be inspired to try a new recipe or check out a non-profit you’ve never heard of before. Or maybe you’ll be inspired to start your own blog! Whatever the case may be, just know I am genuinely grateful that you’ve read this far and that you’re here on this journey with me.