Hey guys, Tina here.

I was sitting on my couch today—probably staring at a wall for way too long because that’s just where I’m at right now—and I started thinking about “the mask.” You know the one. That polite, slightly-stiff, “I’m doing great, how are you?” face we all put on when we walk out the door.

And honestly? I’m over it. I’m officially retiring the mask. It didn’t fit right anyway; it kept pinching my nose and making it hard to breathe.

I’ve realized something about myself: I love when people are real. And I don’t mean “Instagram real” where they post a photo of a messy room but the lighting is still perfect. I mean actually real. No pretending, no hiding, just honest-to-god vibes.

I know what the “Tina Experience” is like for other people. I’m not oblivious. I know I can be a lot. I’m the person who shows up as her true self 100% of the time, but sometimes that “true self” feels like a hurricane in a tea shop.

I have zero chill. I’m aggressive, I’m confrontational, and I am—without a doubt—the most stubborn, hardheaded person you will meet this week. I take things too far. I know it! I see the look in people’s eyes when I start going off—that “okay, let’s slowly back away from the girl with the intense eye contact” look.

I get why people back off. I get why they choose not to deal with me. It’s easier to hang out with someone who is “nice” and “mellow.” But here’s the thing: I’d rather be a “lot” than be a “lie.”

There is something so incredibly healing about being around someone who isn’t afraid of a little friction.

• If you’re mad, be mad! Seriously. Let’s have it out. Let’s yell for five minutes, get it out of our systems, and then go grab a taco. We aren’t going to be mad forever unless we let that crap simmer under the surface for six months.

• Bluntness is a gift. I don’t want to wonder what you’re thinking. I don’t want to play the “guess why I’m annoyed” game.

• Accountability over apologies. If I mess up (which I do, frequently), tell me. Drag me for it. I respect someone who can look me in the eye and say, “Tina, you’re being a jerk right now.”

I actually love the kind of person who would talk trash about me and then have the guts to come tell me exactly what they said to my face. That’s not being mean—that’s being consistent! I can work with that. I can’t work with shadows and whispers.

It feels so good when we don’t have to wear masks. When we can just have open talk and genuine energy. I want to live in a world where we aren’t terrified of who we are.

If I’m being “too much,” don’t leave—just tell me to take a breath. If I’m being hardheaded, push back! I actually like the resistance. It reminds me that I’m talking to a real human being with a backbone, not a cardboard cutout trying to be polite.

I’m messy, I’m loud, and I’m probably going to say something that makes the room go quiet at least once a day. But I promise you this: you will never have to guess where you stand with me. You will never have to wonder if I’m being fake.

Bottom line: Let’s stop being “fine” and start being “us.” Even if “us” is a little bit of a disaster sometimes.

So, here’s to the loud ones, the stubborn ones, and the ones who have been told they are “too much.” You’re my people. Let’s keep showing up as ourselves, no matter how many people we accidentally scare off in the process.