You light the candle.
You journal.
You say the affirmations.
You post the quote.
You tell people you’re doing the work.
And maybe you are.
But somewhere in the movement,
in the language,
in the aesthetics…
you start to wonder:
Am I healing — or just looking like I am?
There’s a thin line.
Healing is messy, slow, and sacred.
Performing wellness is curated.
Healing says:
I’m okay being undone while I become.
Performance says:
I need to look like I’m evolving — even when I’m exhausted.
Healing happens offline.
In breakdowns.
In boundaries.
In moments no one claps for.
Performance happens when healing becomes identity.
When peace becomes a brand.
When growth is something you need to prove.
You say:
- “I’m just protecting my peace.”
- “I’ve outgrown this.”
- “I’m choosing myself.”
And maybe that’s true.
But ask:
- Am I speaking from my truth — or the language of the moment?
- Am I tending to my pain — or wrapping it in spiritual phrases?
- Am I okay being in progress — or do I need to look complete?
Healing doesn’t look like anything.
It feels like everything.
It’s real. Raw. Sometimes ugly.
It rarely fits in a caption.
And that’s what makes it powerful.
This is the Cushy way.
Healing without a show.
Growth without performance.
Peace that’s real — not just posted.
You don’t have to look healed to be healing.
