A couple of weeks ago I had several amazing opportunities present themselves. I had the opportunity to connect with several other author’s, work with kids during a kid’s event, and be with my grandma as she passed away – sitting with her during the last two days of her life. What I noticed from all of these experiences is that everyone has a story. Every human alive on this planet has a story inside of them. If you are alive, you have a story that is waiting to be told and waiting to be heard. Telling our stories, whether by verbally sharing with friends and family, or by writing them down to get published and share with the world is a sacred process as it fosters vulnerability and connection.
Shine Your Light
Maya Angelou once said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you,” and I believe this to be true. When we have stories to tell or things to share, and choose to lock them away, we are essentially imprisoning our gifts or hiding our light under a bushel. We may be okay with hiding for a while, but eventually will feel the pain of holding pieces of ourselves inside. I know this because I used to hide. Not even my closest family/friends knew I wrote. I never showed my poetry or stories to anyone until a few years ago.
I didn’t share them, because I didn’t feel worthy or good enough to be able to share. I didn’t give myself permission to play in this space because I was afraid of criticism. The junior high girl inside of me was scared. I had to do some inner work and personal healing, but I finally decided to be brave, not for myself, but for my daughters. I didn’t want them growing up thinking they needed to hide their gifts. While it started this way, I am now choosing to be brave for myself. I hope I can also help others who have story inside of them to decide to tell it. Whether it be to your kids at bedtime, to your partner, to your friends/family, to publish or to blast on social media – tell it! There will always be someone who resonates with your story and your words, and by being brave enough to tell your story you may start to see healing happen, connections made, and transformations taking place.
Share Your Story for Good
“If you want to change the world, start with yourself,” Mahatma Gandhi. If the only way to truly change anything is to start with yourself, then that is where the great work resides. I hope you shine your light, be brave, tell your stories, do hard things, and work on yourself so that we can all bring our gifts forward and make this world a better place. We all have gifts and stories inside of us to share, even if it’s hard to do, it is so worth it when it helps another. By sharing these gifts and choosing to connect with others and be seen, we can build a better world for the future.