One of my beliefs around sharing your personal story is that it is, as the photograph says, an act of love. Listening with empathy to someone else’s story is also an act of love.
Why? Because by sharing your authentic story you are not only expressing your humanity and allowing others to stand witness to it, you are creating a safe space for self-healing.
Honouring your personal history in this way is a powerful tool for transformation. But it is not an excuse to lose yourself in drama. It allows you to embrace all of who you have been and therefore all of who you are in the present moment.
It also gives permission to others to share their stories, thereby deepening connections and reminding us of what it is to be human, warts and all.
When I first shared the story of the day the lives of my whole family changed irrevocably when my father had a catastrophic stroke at the age of 46, I felt quite vulnerable but the feedback I got was incredibly affirming.
My story had touched my audience, and even though their defining experiences were different to mine, it had allowed them to connect with me and connect with their own troubling times and how it had changed their lives. It also gave them the courage to share similar stories.
There’s something profoundly healing about voicing such stories – and when we heal ourselves, the world heals with us.
I am reminded of a passage in A Course in Miracles, which says: “And as you let yourself be healed, you see all those around you, or who cross your mind, or whom you touch or those who seem to have no contact with you, healed along with you.”
I’ve seen this in action, when people have told me that they’ve read my stories and felt less alone, that what I’ve written or spoken about has resonated with them – even that they thought I was addressing them personally.
We may fear being judged if we share our personal stories. But my experience has been one of love returned tenfold.
Don’t be afraid. Share your story with love.
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