I hope this message finds your city unthawing from the arctic freeze of January 2019.  Today, it’s finally February and I saw this on Instagram and it made me chuckle.

Anyone else feel this?!

I’m coming in hot today with something that happened to me this morning.

You may or may not know this, but I write these emails in real time on Friday mornings to you.  I wake up and right away start thinking / praying / tuning into what you might need to hear that day.

This morning looked a little different, though.  I woke up and had to do an early morning radio interview.  For you locals, I was being interviewed on Mix 101.5 / WRAL FM by Two Men and a Mom.

I had read in the prep email that it was going to be a pre-recorded segment.  I have recorded a few things like this in the past, and you normally join and they prep you for what to expect.  You get to ask questions, and clarify what’s about to happen.  They make sure you’re at ease before the record button is pressed.

My phone rang at 8am right on the dot and I said ‘Hello, this is Em!’  And the next thing I heard?

“We’re on air with Em Sexton, owner of The Flourish Market…”

 

I realized in a hot second that they had pressed record as the phone rang and it was go time without any prep conversation.  I was swept into the interview and I had a minor freakout moment.

But then, Sarah, Kyle and Bryan were SO FUN to talk to and absolutely incredible hosts and before I knew it, they had said goodbye and hung up on me and I thought, “Wow, that somehow sounded polished and like I had my ish together.”

If and when you hear this interview on the radio at some point next week, you will probably think the same thing – she sounds so polished like she has her ish together.

But can I tell you what was really happening as my phone rang for that interview?  

I was crouched by a heater to try to get warm, pantsless, with a greasy face, unbrushed teeth, with my contacts accidentally in the wrong eye, wishing I had actually slept well last night, scared I would accidentally say something stupid on the biggest radio station in the city.

Can I tell you a secret I don’t think many people talk about?  Here it is: we’re ALL just freaking out a little bit on the inside and trying to do our best.  

 

I was reminded that my interview experience was kind of like life in so many ways.

We don’t really get adequately prepped for what to expect.  You don’t really get to ask questions or clarify what’s about to happen in your life so you can be prepared to be perfectly polished.  And that’s hard.

But guess what?  You got out of bed and you’re doing it.  You’re doing this thing called life.  And no matter how polished other people look or sound, we’re ALL human and freaking out a little.

That mom that always packs her kids the healthiest lunches and is always so delightful even in the carpool pick-up lane?

She’s freaking out a little inside.

Your sister who seemingly effortlessly mothers her 3 teenage children with ease?

She’s freaking out a little inside.

That entrepreneur on Instagram who is just killing it in sales and growth and #allthethings?

She’s freaking out a little inside.

And the girl that just did a polished radio interview?

She’s freaking out a little inside too.

You’re so not alone on this crazy walk called life.  Keep walking.  Keep showing up.  Keep going.  You’re doing it.

 

With so much love (and a greasy face and unbrushed teeth),