Do you know what I think is really important about being online? 

Being myself. 

It’s so rad for me that I get to write this blog and then, somehow, magically, that my words connect with people. 

When people – that’s some of YOU – take the time to comment here or over on Facebook or Instagram, it is such a thrill, and I have to say, it makes me feel ace. When you share your stories with me, I am gobsmacked and humbled. 

What I don’t want, what I hope I’m not doing here, is painting a one dimensionally shiny, happy portrait of my life. 

Life can be shiny, and is often beautiful, but as we all know, life can also… how shall I put this delicately… well, some days just suck shit. 

Those days may not inspire blog posts, or they might, but I won’t hide the less than shiny days from you or pretend I’m never the one standing under the big arrow in the sky that says DICKHEAD. That would be utterly disingenuous. Not what The Verbs is about. 

So, let’s yin and yang this thang! 

I’m kind. 

I am cranky. 

I’m clever. 

I am judgey-wudgey. 

I love to encourage people. 

Some days, I kind of want to throttle the peeps. 

I’m a great listener. 

Oh! JUST.SHUT.UP! 

The days where my inherent strengths surface are usually easy, shiny days, but there are some days, where just like Melbourne’s weather, or a woman of a certain *ahem* age, I can run the gamut from beatific to bitch in 0.06 seconds.  

I’m hoping there’s no great shock in this for you, as I think most of us live in the real world, coping with our less than glorious moments on a regular basis. 

Did you notice that I didn’t fall into beating myself up over my weaknesses? That’s not the way to go, in my book. 

I do my best to brush myself off when I catch myself sucking, and to get back to being open, positive, encouraging – the me I want most to be. 

Being honest about my faults doesn’t mean I can’t still like myself. I may feel disappointed in myself, I might need to apologise or think something through so I don’t fall into sucking so often, but it’s not a matter of being Little Miss Perfect or being a hopeless wretch. 

A while ago, I coined this simple action plan, suitable for every day use, but especially important on less than shiny days:

BRUSH. WINK. SMILE. REPEAT. 

BRUSH. You can do this while you’re brushing your teeth or your hair. Easy peasy! 

WINK. Yep, look at yourself in the mirror, with kindness, and give yourself a wink. 

SMILE. Grin like a fool/charmer at your sleepy, tired, happy, reflection. 

REPEAT. Daily. 

So tell me, how do you cope with your less than shiny stuff? 

How are your brushing yourself off skills? 

Are you on the B.W.S.R. bandwagon? 

Yours in occasional eye-rolling, 

Annette