What I Didn't Post On Instagram

While researching an article about Instagram, we happened to stumble upon a book with the name, What I didn't post on Instagram. Intrigued, we decided to find out more. 

This book, a collection of essays by Chrissy Stockton, seemed to be a real wake up call. It drives home the fact that nobody's life is as perfect as it seems, and we are all just trying to figure it out as we go through life.

The essays housed in this collection are deeply honest, and real, and they make you feel seen and connected because they reveal the humanness in a platform that has quickly become less than human. They expose an honest, softer, somewhat confronting side to social media — a side that we all need to see, a side that we all need to digest, because that is the side that inspires, that is the side that represents who we are.

The author shared that In an age where a single Instagram post is consumed by thousands of people, it’s time we started to make social media real again. So what's inside? Some real stories behind seemingly perfect Instagram posts, shared by real people. Here is the blog about the book, with some inspiring stories for you to read. 

We have also gone a step further by asking people around us to share some of their stories as well (including one of ours).

1. Ishaan: The calm during the storm.

 

 

 

 

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Budha Point! #travaholicofficial #bhutan #yogaretreat #budha #view #budhapoint #thimphu #grossnationalhappiness #tourist #friends #statue #himalayas #love #friends #food #holiday #travel #nature

A post shared by TRAVAHOLIC (@travaholicofficial) on Jun 15, 2018 at 3:37am PDT

This picture was taken in Bhutan during one of the best trips of my life. This seemingly picturesque moment is not as calm as it seems, for it was day one of our yoga retreat and I had barely slept all night, and was stressed out dealing with a ton of logistical and organisational issues while making sure everyone had a great time. 

2.Kartika: Before and after the filter.

 

Most of us use filters to make our pictures pop, but on this day I had zero choice. I run a PR company and was actually really exhausted as I had four to five events back to back, and had to be part of this photoshoot that could not be rescheduled. I, therefore, opted to brighten up the picture to cover up that fact that all I wanted in that moment was to go home and get some rest.

3. Jessica: The not so adventurous truth.

This picture of mine was taken on a recent trek to Kashmir. As stunning as this place was, at this very moment I had a terrible cold, slight fever, was weak and dizzy, and feeling anxiety because of the altitude of 14,000 ft.

4. Simrit: Smile through the tough stuff.

This picture was taken around two years ago on a girls trip to Thailand. I remember that time vividly as it was an extremely challenging period for my personal life. Even though I'm smiling here, I had spent the week leading up to this holiday dealing with many difficult conversations, confrontations, and tears. I love this picture because it's a constant reminder that happiness is a choice and that I can laugh through any difficult situation in my life.