Sharing Our Stories

We are living in such heart-wrenching times. I feel that it is important for our stories to be shared. All of them. Not just the ones of celebration. People need to see and feel authenticity, now more than ever. 
 
This is how we heal. This is how we support and encourage humanity to heal.
 
When we share pieces of our own stories with vulnerability and truth, no matter how scary it may be or how much shame we may be carrying around about them, we inadvertently give permission for others to do the same.
 
When we are real, we break down the barriers of our shared humanity and can connect from our hearts.
 
When we choose to use our pain or suffering as fuel for our growth and to be of service and support to others navigating similar flavors of this human life, we transform fear into power and open up the possibility of bridging connections that are aligned and in integrity.
 
I put up a very vulnerable video on Instagram the other day sharing a piece of my story. It felt important to share my human, emotional experience as a point of relating, of connecting, of supporting the many, many others who are also navigating aspects of this unfolding.
 
I always say that it is so important to own our stories but not to allow them to dictate who we are. There's a fine line between owning our stories and embracing how they have shaped who we are rather than allowing them to manipulate how we choose to live.
 
Our stories can empower us to move forward in aligned action, or they can keep us stuck in the muck of the past.
 
We all have iterations of life experiences that are being touched right now in relation to the heart-breaking and harmful plight that we, as humanity, are navigating.
 
It is important to talk about these experiences. It is important to talk about our feelings and not ignore the quandary. Ignoring or choosing to negate the magnitude of impact that these choices are having on so many human lives, is privilege.
 
This does not mean that we become consumed by what is happening and the suffering and extreme challenge that so many are experiencing, yet the only way that we are going to get through to the other side of this is to be in connection.
 
To be in real and vulnerable and authentic connection. To hold a place of empathy for the whole.
 
Even if you are not necessarily being touched directly in this moment by all that is coming apart at the seams, I guarantee many whom you know are.
 
Looping back to the video that I recorded and posted last week…
 
My share and subsequent emotional response while speaking was in relation to the drastic cuts being made on Medicaid and the SNAP program which supports millions of people who are in need for one reason or another.
 
A significant piece of my story is that I was a single mom to my special needs son for 11 years, starting from when he was in diapers. I was alone with minimal support, working my bum off to finish my Masters degree, work, get my business up and running, and parenting a special needs child who was in and out of school. We needed government assistance to survive.
 
There are so many layers to this segment of my story, but the main thing that I want to share is that this is aspect of what is unfolding is very serious. Government assistance is not just for those who carry the stigma of being lazy or “milking the system” but rather there are millions who truly need the extra support….single moms, disabled children and adults, special needs children, elderly, students trying to improve their lives, lower income families some of which are working multiple jobs yet still are not making ends meet…
 
My heart is broken for the millions of people who will be impacted by the loss of these essential services.
 
So, as these days continue to unfold, I believe that for those of us who are wanting to stay conscious and awake to it all, we need to stay informed as to what is happening, not engulfed by it, yet aware.
 
We need to keep our hearts open to those that are being directly impacted, rather than turn a blind eye and pretend as if it is not happening. We are all connected as humans, and all feel the tug of the collective heart as many are suffering.
 
I feel that we need to take aligned action everyday towards something that keeps our energy moving in a productive way.
 
To stay connected to our own creative pulse and to use the charge in our systems in a way that is progressing. I feel that aligned action is needed desperately in circulating compassion, empathy, awareness, and love so that we may, together, create a world in which we want to raise our children in.  
 
We must have conversations…connect and share our stories… and be human together.
 
Sending love near and far from my broken, open, and loving heart.
 
P.S. I always love hearing from you… I want to hear your stories. Please do not hesitate to reach out either through just hitting reply to this email or schedule some time for us to connect in the link below.
 
Take good care of yourselves and be kind to each other.