Lifestyle blogger Chessie King knows her life looks downright idyllic on social media, but she wants her followers to know there's more going on behind-the-scenes that they don't always see. So instead of deleting the "outtakes" from her Instagram photo shoots, King (follow her at @chessiekingg) has decided to post them alongside the more picture-perfect photos from each shoot. The result is a series of side-by-side photos that are charming, down-to-earth, and full of self-love.

In one of her most recent side-by-side posts, King showcased a photo she'd posted next to one she'd deleted. In both of the photos, she's wearing a bikini and posing in the water. But the one on the left shows King leaning back and smirking with her hand in her hair, while the one on the right shows her laughing and standing up straight.

King explained that she deleted the photo on the right almost immediately after it was taken. It wasn't until later that she found it in her recently deleted folder that she decided to share it with her followers. "I'm clearly super happy in the one on the right," she wrote in the photo caption. "I don't hate it. But the lighting isn't 'flattering'—nor is the way I'm holding my body or the angle of it—but it's ME."

In other side-by-sides, King has showcased her stomach rolls, her so-called "Instagram booty" versus her real one, and other outtakes that show how much effort goes into taking and selecting the shots she posts on social media. And each time she posts one, King feels proud of herself, because a year ago, she would've felt too insecure to share those photos with anyone—let alone 251,000 followers.

So the next time you find yourself falling into what King calls the "Instagram perfection trap," remember her words: "People post the best photo out of a bunch taken." What you see on social media isn't always reality, and even when it is, it's usually filtered and carefully curated.

"If you see a photo of yourself in 'bad' lighting or an 'unflattering angle,' just remind yourself how beautiful you are and that you're allowed to look like that," she wrote."We were not made to be Barbie dolls who LOOK insanely good 24/7. We were made to be humans who FEEL insanely good 24/7."

