I have been thinking about this for awhile. I find a lot of value in sharing what is going on with me personally, but it can be tricky.
This morning I was reminded of how valuable it is to be vulnerable and to tell your story when it is wanting to be told. First of all, what does that mean? It wants to be told- you get a inkling to want to tell it to the person you are with. This is your intuition at work- learn to listen to it. (that’s another blog post!)
I found that when I trust my intuition and tell my story- current, past, future- there is such reward on the other side. I am not one to broadcast all challenges and hardships on social media. I don’t believe it is necessary for me to do so. What I do find to be necessary is telling people one on one. One- could be deemed selfish- I get listened to. Two- and this is the really good part- it encourages the listener to tell me their story.
And I listen. (or at least I hope I am, this is my intention.)
This happened this morning and I was fortunate enough to hear a story that uplifted me and gave me hope for the situation I spoke about that is happening in my life.
We would have had a great talk no matter what, I am certain. But this sharing I did opened up a whole other avenue and conversation between two people who never would guessed these goings on in each other’s lives. It was precious.
The rewards for sharing have been great for me. I hope that to everyone who reads this that has listened to me talk over the past many years knows how much it has meant to me and I hope I haven’t worn you out! (to me the biggest danger- talking about the same thing time and again and people getting tired of hearing it, even the most loving and well meaning). I hope that my sharing has been of benefit, as well as the benefit I receive in being listened to.
I have been privileged through my sharing to allow others to see that they are not alone, to become a resource for many others, to encourage others, and in sharing my most vulnerable self, allowed them to do the same.
I am writing this post today to encourage you to share yourself and your story. If you tell it to the wrong person, you will know- they may judge you, they may react unkindly. I’ve had it happen. Guess what? You can’t tell for sure who they are. But I have realized that I have to risk sharing to find out and those people are in the minority. It’s worth the risk to take a chance in making a difference for myself and others, then to worry about what someone might think. If you receive a negative reaction to your vulnerable share, chances are you have touched something deep inside the other person that they were not ready for. They make thank you later. Or not.
Just let your light shine and as many books, cards and posters say (I’ve noticed this a lot lately!) – don’t let anyone else EVER dim it.