How much of what we see on social media is real, and how much of it is an illusion we've decided to believe?

In this archive episode of The Real Empowered Self, I'm talking about that veil between what is real, what is imagined, and what we accept as truth.

A conversation with Sharon about social media personalities who had died by suicide brought me back to my own suicide attempt on November 2, 1994. I know what it means to reach a point where you don't want to be here anymore.

And it raises an uncomfortable question about the lives we see presented online.

We watch influencers showing off their bodies, their money, their relationships, and their supposedly wonderful lives. But what the fuck do we actually know about what happens when the cameras are turned off?

I even question what you can really know about me simply because you're listening to my voice.

And this isn't just about influencers.

I remember being uncomfortable enough with my own circumstances that I lied to potential dates rather than admit where and how I was living. I was creating my own veil because I didn't want someone to see what I considered ugly about my life.

So what illusions are we still maintaining? And how much of our dissatisfaction comes from comparing our actual lives with somebody else's carefully presented version?

I'm not suggesting that we can magically eliminate life's difficulties. I'm talking about getting to know ourselves, being honest about where we are, and questioning the appearances we've allowed to define what we think our lives should be.