We so often hold back our feelings because we think that if we express them, we are weak. That if people were to know just what is really going on inside, in our hearts, they will think less of us. So we silence, we pretend, we hold back on the truth.We build up walls that suck out our energy, and at the same time stuff down our potential for creativity and growth.
Through experiencing and reflecting upon my own life, I have realized that there is a whole picture to embrace. We cannot possibly embrace true happiness without embracing pain.
We have learned to put labels on our emotions, as if they were items in a grocery store. "This thing is good, this thing is bad." The thing is that emotions don't work like that. They aren't selective. We can't go about feeling authentic if we only expect happiness and that other people see our life looking like a perfectly wrapped present.
Perhaps one of the greatest risks is exposing ourselves for who we truly are. This way of being is paved with uncertainty and risk. But if I have learned anything this year, it is that this is most worthwhile risk of all. To be who we truly are.
Exposing our vulnerability is one of the most courageous and powerful things we can do. It is the basis of human connection. How can we expect to understand each other and experience real connection if we are avoiding how we really feel? Embracing vulnerability means asking for help. It means saying, "I'm sorry." It's stepping into the arena of life and getting messy, even though there are no guarantees. It means saying no to something that has drained our energy and taking the step to doing what will make us happy, even if we feel scared and lonely. It means having faith in the face of uncertainty.
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning to dance in the rain."
Dare openheartedly,
Julie
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