I’ve spent more years than I would care to count afraid I would be judged & misunderstood.
After years of sharing my story online, I went into hiding. I “went dark” for 3 years. Even paid a company to make sure I was deleted online.
But like the prophet Jeremiah said:
If I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!
I just couldn’t quiet the storm of unshared messages in my soul.
They had to come out.
Maybe you are like me…someone who has a message. Maybe your message has been born out of blood, sweat, tears, and pain. You know your story can help others. But you tell yourself lies like:
• I’m too old/young
• I’ve tried/failed before
• I need to overcome (problem) first
• (Person) is already doing a great job sharing a similar story
The truth is: we need each other. No one has it all figured out. And even if your message has been shared 1000x over…it’s never been shared BY YOU. And there are millions who need to hear it exactly like YOU say it.
Your story matters. Your mess is your message. Your pain reveals your purpose. Everything you’ve experience can be used to help others.
To overcome your hesitation, imagine that you have a water hose and you are the only one rushing towards a burning building full of people. What is a good reason to retreat?
There is none.
But it’s often what we do online. We write the blog. We make the product. We film the video…and then fail to push publish…or worse…we publish only to delete it seconds later because we are scared what others will think of us.
We get so focused on ourselves or other people’s judgement…we forget about the burning building and the hose of relief we hold in our hands.
Just like walking away with a hose would not only be an awful display of cowardice…but people will suffer.
I challenge you to focus only on the people you are helping with your experience. Ignore the crowd. Replace negative self-talk with the truth…YOU ARE CALLED TO SHARE YOUR STORY.
