I watched the movie, The Help, the other night and I haven’t been able to get this quote out of my head

“No one ever asked what it felt like to be me. Once I answered that I felt free.”

This was such a powerful line in the movie to me for so many reasons. I think this represents what is true about our society in general. The truth is that no one knows what it is like to walk a mile in each others’ shoes because if we did, the odds are the world would be run very differently.

Think about all of the people you know who seem like they have their head in the clouds, or who you just can’t seem to understand. Think about all of the people who cross your path each day. Every single person in our lives has a story. We all come from somewhere. We all act the way we do for a reason. We all choose the words we use because of something deep within us. We all make decisions based on our life experiences. We all have a past.

When I wrote My Story on that early September morning, that was my way of letting the world know what it felt like to be me. I had hid who I was from most of the people in my life for so long that I really truly felt like I was a prisoner in my own body. And once I let it all out and shared what it felt like (or bits and pieces anyway) to be me, I did feel free.

If you are someone who is hiding from a painful experience or an embarrassing secret of some sort, please let it out in whatever way you feel comfortable. There are so many outlets available – writing (private or public), sharing with a loved one, making an appointment with a therapist, attending a support group, posting some thoughts or questions in an online support group, etc

As someone who has done the hiding, done the isolating, I can tell you that it will ONLY GET WORSE. I know that you need to be ready to open up… I do realize that so in the meantime, journaling is great or speaking with a therapist can help to lessen the enormous weight we can sometimes feel when we are carrying so many emotions inside of us. Or, if neither of those things appeal to you, the internet is an amazing way to connect with others so you see you aren’t alone but also have the anonymity.