A Real-Life Performance, And No, We’re Not Talking About Theater

Have you ever sat through a community theater performance, you know, the kind with enthusiastic actors, questionable lighting, and a cardboard tree that leans a little too much to stage left? And yet… somehow, you still find yourself tearing up at the love scene, gasping at the betrayal, and applauding like they just cured world hunger. Why? Because even with all the obvious signs, it’s “just a show,” you believed it. You got emotionally invested.

Now, let’s talk about relationships. (Yes, I’m going there.)

Some relationships are basically off-Broadway productions. Two people show up, but instead of being themselves, they each slip into character, polished, curated, Instagram-filtered versions of who they think they should be. Cue the romantic montage: long walks, witty banter, matching Halloween costumes. Feels like a Hallmark movie, right?

And then… the curtain drops. One day, you see them at a bar, delivering the same lines to someone else like it’s opening night. (Welcome to “Cast Change: The Sequel.”) There was no depth, just two people playing parts in a story that wasn’t real.

Here’s the thing: you can’t hold a character forever. Real relationships require something wild and radical: authenticity.

So instead of performing, just be. Be awkward, be bold, be messy. Be the person who sings off-key in the car and laughs at your own jokes. Because when you show up as your real self, the right people will see you—and stay.

You are worthy of love without needing a script.

You don’t need to perform to be loved, you need to be you.

And spoiler alert: life is not a play. It’s real, raw, sometimes cringey, but it’s yours.

So drop the act. Walk off the stage. And start living your truth. Because in real life, the best relationships aren’t rehearsed.