Fighting Against the Currant

The other day I had a friend approach me with the concern that I am not being genuine because I see everything with a silver lining.

This was a conversation that I needed to have because at the time, I was so hurt by the implication.
I immediately became angry; I felt attacked. How could someone I care about think that I am any less real because I work to be so happy all the time? Was it NOT what I was supposed to be doing? Did it, in fact. make me unbearable to others because of my positive outlook? Was I actually hurting others with this line of thought and behavior?

What a spiral that lead me down - and I looked at it full in the face, without fear.

This is something that lots of people struggle with - the thought that other people are just so happy that they cannot possibly experience the hard times that /I/ face. That we are alone in our sadness and rough times, and no one in our lives truly understand our hardships.
But lets look at the WHY's.
I have seen an article floating around on facebook (here is one, for example, but not the one I read) about friend envy, among other things.
First, I want to preface my reactions with the fact that I have grown up with the internet. I am a computer kid, and socializing online is where my teenage years took flight. That being said, online is NOT where you should seek genuine interactions, in my opinion. I have been there, I have searched for them, I have found some - but they are rare and my trust has been broken enough to know I can read people and their intentions much more clearly when in person. You generally have to take someone's word for who they are and how they feel - which is true in person too, but lying online is MUCH easier.
And this is where I diverge. I do not try to lie online, but I do understand that my interactions with people is VERY filtered. I understand that the energy I put out is absorbed by others, so why would I want it to bring someone down? I do not like seeing posts of anger or extreme sadness, therefore I do not post them. And I would thank you kindly for not judging me based on my decision to be a positive influence on others. I do not assume that every single person who is having a habitually bad time all over a public forum is REALLY always having a bad day - it is just how they use the internet, their facebook and how they are expressing themselves.
There was a conversation just today, going on on my newsfeed, about art and emotions. Some view that art is a way to process pain, and others use it to express the beauty they find in the world. Both of these things are applicable to your energy. Growing is the most important thing to do (again, in my opinion), and however you do that, is just fine for you (assuming you are not hurting others, but again, my opinion).

It is also important to understand that FACEbook is just that. It is a digital book for whatever face you choose to show. It is NOT real life. It is an aspect of life that you choose to share with others. How you choose to share it is up to you.

I have gotten off topic a bit - I am still processing the hurt I felt from this friend - even though our conversation ended well and I appreciate the opportunity I was given to look at my own actions and thoughts.
But while this conversation was happening, while I was questioning myself and feeling so angry, I was receiving messages from other friends thanking me for being so uplifting. Saying that it mattered and meant so much to them to see the wonderful things happening in my life and how I viewed the world. How I remained so positive despite whatever is going on.

And to that I say "thank you, all." Thank you to everyone who seeks genuine interactions. Than you for searching for people who are real and wanting more out of a relationship. And thank you for helping me grow as well. You have no idea how much I value differing opinions and compassion and love.
But please, please, please, understand that YOU are in control of your feelings. You should feel them, you should not "lock them down," but rather look at them with compassion. Understand that they are what they are but you have the POWER to change them. We are all gods. We can do this together.