I Woke Up Like This: Why I’m Not “Faking It Til I Make It”

Some days you wake up and feel like you’ve forgotten how to “adult.” You burn the toast and put on two different socks and let your kid go to school without brushing his teeth. Your soda explodes all over your pants, you’ve got deodorant on your shirt, and you realize after your big presentation that you had lipstick on your teeth the whole time.

You try to “fake it til you make it,” because you’re embarrassed to admit that you don’t have it all together.

Let me break the ice for you.

I don’t have my s&*% together.

I woke up this morning and made a pot of coffee, but forgot the coffee grounds and ended up with a pot of yellowish hot water.

I fill an old milk jug with water every morning to take to school with me for the day. This morning I poured water into our actual milk jug which was still half full of milk.

I lost my thermos this morning. Twice. It was in the same place both times.

A few hours ago I sent Jonathan a message about a company that was “highering.”

It has taken me three hours to write this post because I’ve apparently forgotten how to string words together into sentences.

I think it’s safe to say that I did not bring my “A” game today.

And that’s OK.

Because we are worth more than what we bring to the table. Because real life is messy and imperfect in a thousand ways, but that’s what makes it REAL.

I don’t want to “fake it til I make it.” I want to change the definition of “making it.”

Some days, “making it,” is simply showing up. It’s about presence, not perfection. It is about being engaged with where you are and what is in front of you today, not about having all your ducks in a row. As Glennon Melton says, “A good enough something is better than a perfect nothing.”

Some days, “making it” is choosing to make your haves count for more than your have-nots.

Some days, “making it” is extending grace to the people who are on your last nerve, or extending grace to yourself because you’re human, and humans are pros at making mistakes.

Some days “making it” is admitting, “I don’t have it all together,” and using that as an opportunity to make much of God and the way he sustains you, even in your brokenness.

Some days “making it” is acknowledging that you don’t do it on your own, that you can’t do it on your own, and that there are people who pick up your slack, who forgive you when you lose it, and who love you even though you ate all of the ice cream (sorry, Babe!)

I don’t have it all together and I’m not going to pretend that I do. But I AM making it. Moment by moment. Day by day. Grace by grace. No faking required.

Image credit: Lifeloveyoga.com 

40 comments

  1. haha – I wrote a similar post today. It’s not up yet though because, well, I don’t have my sh*t together either. Thank you so much for saying that it took 3 hours to writ it! any time it takes me 3 hours to write a post, I think I’m the worst writer ever. i hugely appreciate anyone willing to show her real self so the rest of us can breathe a sigh of relief and remember that (phew) our craziness is normal… and that it’s okay to embrace the making without the faking. Thanks!

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    1. Haha. That’s great. I’ll look forward to reading it whenever it goes up! And yes, I could not believe how long it took me to write that really simple post. It was like, ” words, what are?” 🙂 Glad this was encouraging.

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  3. See I don’t know whether I made it or faked it. … Was on a good streak back then now am back to square one.. Feel like I jinxed it. How do you get back from here then?

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  4. This would be me on a daily basis if it included burning everything that I put on the stove while I just go “do something real quick.” Thanks for the reminder that I don’t need to fake it. In my weakness He is made strong 🙂

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    1. Hahaha. Girl, we have all been there. And yes, I like to remember that each of our failures, each of our embarrassing moments, each time we make mistake, it’s an opportunity to for us to remember that we can’t do it on our own and that we have a God who is strong when we are not. 🙂

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  7. I think it comes down to authenticity, which is being open and honest and admitting that we are all sinners, yet we are valuable by the grace of God. And because of that grace we don’t have to try to be somebody we’re not. We find our identity in Christ and that is more than sufficient!

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  8. I just love the way you put things honestly. To face the bare truth can be sometimes harder than it seems!

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  10. This made me feel so much better. Especially since i… Put dry oatmeal in the microwave this morning without putting water/milk into it… Dry oatmeal heated will just be hot.. dry..oats.

    Gotta love it. I like the idea of changing the definition of “making it”!

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  11. Your post allowed me to take a deep breath this morning. I did not have an “off morning,” but lately it seems my life has been “off” – mostly because I’ve been trying to be in control of what’s happening (God is probably just shaking his head…as per usual). Lately I find myself reading the Merton’s Prayer every morning when I wake up – and now after reading your post, I feel at ease. Thanks!

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    1. I know what you mean about feeling like life has been “off.” I go through those times too – sometimes it’s big things that I can’t seem to get right and sometimes it’s just tons of small things, but I do think it’s so much better for us to learn to accept that these things are part of being human and to remember that it’s ok for us to screw everything up because nothing we do can change the fact that God is in control. And we’re not really alone in our “off-ness” anyway:) Thanks for sharing!

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      1. You have such a way with words. I screw up a lot – mostly I blame it on “I’m 23 and have no idea what I’m doing…” but it’s just human nature to make a mess of things! Have a blessed day!

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      2. Thank you! I was having a conversation with my 19 year old sister a few months ago and she was saying she can’t wait to be finished with school so she can fully feel like a “grown-up.” And I was like, “I’m really sorry, but in my experience, graduating won’t make you feel like a grown-up. I thought it would come when I graduated or when I got married or when I got my first real job or signed my first lease or moved overseas and I honestly am still wondering when I’m gonna feel like a grown-up.” I think she was kind of bummed to hear that, but I think there’s something freeing in there too. I spent a long time feeling like “I’m 25 (or 26 or 27) and I really thought I’d have my life more together by now.” But now I’m starting to accept that my life is as “together” as I say it is. And some days, I say making it to work and back home again and managing to feed myself something means I did awesome. Sometimes it’s fun to spin “not having it together” on its head and think about all the things I managed to do today. For example, this morning I made coffee, I packed my lunch, I got my jeans to button, and I remembered to brush my hair. See how awesome I am?! 😉 Hope you have a great weekend.

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  13. I really really really loved this!
    We all know that we are not alone when we’re having a day like this but there is a diffrence between knowing and reading your honest post today.
    Thanks!!

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    1. You’re so welcome. I’m glad this was helpful for you! I often think when I’m having those klutzy, clumsy, human moments, “I can’t be the only one who does stuff like this!” and you know that’s true, but you still feel alone when it seems like everyone around you has it together. I think sometimes it’s good for all of us to just call it like it is. 🙂

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  14. Beautiful post. I love the gentleness. Reminds me of a time I spent a half hour complaining to my husband (who was on his lunch break at work) that I couldn’t find my cell phone. I was walking around the house, looking everywhere. Guess what I had used to call him!

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    1. Hahaha. Oh my goodness, that sounds just like me. I can’t tell you how many times I have lost something that was in my hand. 😉 I’m glad you could relate to this post. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Agreed. I am reminded of the childhood game where you sit in a circle and pass a secret until the last person’s message bears little to no resemblance to the original. We are all only ever enough, it is a complete fiction this concept of making it. The faking it just builds walls between us, tearing up the common ground that creates compassion and community.

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    1. YES! All we do when we pretend we have achieved an un-achievable state of perfection is creating walls between us and other people – both through our dishonesty and by making ourselves seem unapproachable. Loved your take on this!

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  18. This.
    This is simply amazing. You have no idea how much your words have resonated in me today. I know God put your blog in my sight for a purpose. This message is exactly what I needed today. Thank you for allowing Him to use you to make a difference in our world!

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