Connect

Connection with others is vital in my life and has been since I was young. In a box in my attic, I still have an elementary school report card with the following note from my teacher, “… is still talking too much.” As an only child for much of my life who spent a majority of time with adults, I still remember the great joy in my heart when the occasional play date was arranged. The chance to connect with another was meaningful and always welcome.

Tonight I am thinking about how I have benefited from my connections and from my tendency to share quite deeply with others. I have great curiosity about and compassion for people. This combined with a little impulse control trouble in the communication area means that I quite regularly bear sensitive parts of myself with friends. Sure, I have felt my share of embarrassment and fear following spurting out something sensitive about my parenting, marriage, or inner self. But overall, I am very grateful for this tendency because it has brought me a clearer understanding of myself, others, and humanity, which has allowed for more peace in my life.

In contrast, it is not uncommon for me to meet with people whose path has not included the same type of sharing in their lives. In my office, I am sometimes given the great privilege of walking with a person as they begin a cautious dialogue in which they share truthfully about their real thoughts, feelings, and experiences for the first time. I believe there’s magic in the real things. Having someone see your truth and not walk away is a life-affirming experience. Shining a light on the dark places that we all have in the company of a kind, understanding human will change your life. It is risky, but it’s only in risk that great reward can be found.

Have you benefited from authentic sharing with another person? Are you carrying around guilt, shame, remorse, or confusion that is negatively impacting your life? If so, I want to challenge you to find a trustworthy friend, family member, or professional and quit carrying the load by yourself. There’s an adage that came to mind as I was considering this topic… “A burden shared is a burden halved.”  Sounds good to me!

Peace to all,

Shea