On the Surface
Never have I thought my life was perfect. Never have I addressed the idea that everything was going right in my life. This wasn't because I was pessimisic but because to me, life can never be just one thing: it can't be perfect, depressing, hell, heaven, etc. In the alleged "perfection", there are going to be flaws, and amongst the depressing moments will be times when I think that I could fly. When I received a question on ask.fm that was based on the idea that my life was perfect I didn't know how I should respond: flattered? Disappointed? Angry? But instead I decided to do what I do best: reflect and learn. As I began to think about my response, I realized that I felt empathetic towards the asker because at one point in my life I thought that others' lives were perfect and mine was just continuously riddled with imperfections, ones that I would never be able to escape while they still lived on Cloud Nine. But I've realized that everyone's life is imperfect, but that's not a bad thing: it just means that we have more to learn from and to improve upon. We should never look at imperfection as a negative. Imperfection and mistakes serve to become life lessons and as we accept this, we are able to see the beauty and the magnificence in the little things that would not have existed without the presence of little errors here and there.
We look at others' lives on social media and we can only see perfection because that's all that is posted: the sunny days filled with random, spontaneous excursions. But what we (and I have done many times) fail to realize is that we are only witnessing snapshots of our peers' lives: we are unaware of what is bothering them behind that bright smile or what might have happened seconds before or even after. This isn't to say that we should look for negativity in others' and our lives but to remember that we can't take everything at face value in our society anymore: a society so easily manipulated by the click of a button or the swipe of a finger. Humans are human and are appropriately known as such.
On that note, my ask.fm answer to the asker:
Look for happiness in your life. I'm 100% positive it's there. People who are happy don't have perfect lives - they're just looking for the brighter side to things. I don't have everything in life; I'm flattered but I honestly don't think there is an "everything" to life. Everyone is surrounded by so many different circumstances and are exposed to such unique experiences. I hope you wouldn't be jealous of me... I have ups and downs in my life too - I cry and I hurt but I also smile and I laugh. Every day is different and I constantly try to remind myself that no day is perfect but our perspective on it can change so much about our experience with that day! Smile. I don't know who you are, but I want to see more positivity in this world. Take a moment for yourself and take a moment to reflect on the good in your life: the friends you have, the family that loves you, and the education that you are able to have. If you ever say that no one loves you, I think you're mistaken. I don't know the person who asked this question but I'm sure I love you! Because everyone has something to love about him/her.