A message that we’ve all somehow absorbed at one point or another is that it is strong to fight your battles on your own, and that it is weak to be open and honest about them. I want to offer another perspective: being vulnerable is one of the strongest things you can do.
When I first started my mindfulness Instagram account, I kept the page private. I didn’t tell many people about it. I agonized over which follower requests to accept, and I was fairly conservative about what I would share there.
As I began to heal and grow outside of my Instagram, I became more encouraged to step out of my comfort zone with the content I decided to share. I have always expressed myself better through writing, so beginning to share raw content was an interesting dichotomy between comfort and discomfort. It felt easy to pour the words out onto a blank screen, but pressing that blue share button is where I would falter. But let me tell you, hitting that blue button and releasing my truth opened up a whole new world of liberation, connection, and self growth.
Obviously, Instagram isn’t the only medium through which we can be more vulnerable. I find it impactful to do so on that platform because Instagram is a place where we often only see “highlight reels” and much more filtered content. Along with challenging the artificial nature of social media, I strive to express myself more openly through my articles and in real life interactions.
It is incredibly liberating to let out your truth instead of keeping it weighing heavy on your soul. Not only does it free yourself, but I’ve found that it tends to free others, too. It makes the things that we don’t usually talk about suddenly open to discuss. It shows others who may not be comfortable to speak their truth yet that they are not alone. It allows you to connect with others in a deeper and more meaningful way that may not have been possible before. And lastly, it promotes self growth like no other. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and releasing shame makes you more comfortable in your own skin and not held back by your truth.
We are all carrying things that we don’t talk about. The longer we keep those things inside us, the heavier they become. We have been taught that it is strong to be able to carry heavy things, but what if the real strength comes from putting them down and being the reason other people decide to, too?
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