Let The Sunshine In

All my life, I have loved stories - hearing them, telling them, reading them and creating spaces for them.  I am a story teller. A story can inspire and represent the poetry of living in a way that transforms and unleashes the listener toward reflection, even revelation. It may sound dramatic, but I find this process of listening, hearing, and telling essential, believing we each have a story to tell.

Photo Credit: Jessica Collins Photography

However, it isn’t always a story we may want to tell.  It is one thing to share beautiful photos, designed + themed events, and funny life illustrations.  For example, how you locked your children in your car in front of their school on one of the biggest volunteer days of the year as a fire truck rescued your crew in all it’s train-wreck-circus glory.  Might I add it was raining? (This is funny now.  As one can imagine, it was not funny then.)

It is another thing entirely to share the moment your rage gave you a glimpse into the person you NEVER wanted to be, creating a memory + story that you desire to forget.  It is a picture of your guilt + shame you may not believe is redeemable.  Feeling it’s better left in the dark, you hide.  Anyone relate?  Of course, we can ALL relate in some form, can we not?

Friends, if I can encourage you in one thing, it is to be honest and unafraid - in the light. I realize this will not always be met with open arms or without sideways glances & wide eyes, but it is worth it and necessary. It will help you find your tribe, allowing you a space to grow in real-time, in real light with real people.  

Believing I would be misunderstood, there was a time I felt I could not reveal these hidden places. I convinced myself it was too raw.  I was too crazy.  (Again, show of hands?)  Reasons enough for me to keep my mouth shut and try to fix it.  Work harder.  Adjust.  Self help, self judge, or self-hate (let’s call it what it is) while drowning.  This isn’t healthy, just in case you were wondering.  Especially since, without appropriate dignity, these hidden places had the potential to overflow in the most awkward emotional moments.

When I did choose to be vocal, it was often met with disbelief, which I found relieving (Was I not as messed up as I feared?) and also concerning (Had I truly hidden so well?).  It is in this vulnerability, however, that I found those not only willing to listen, but also those willing to share - honest, imperfect, beautiful individuals with the BEST stories.  

That said, I desire to share my stories, feelings, adventures, and passions- my real space, our HIVEhome.  This is a place for our stories, as well as yours, to shine a light, inspire, transform, and reveal within our community that there is no need to hide. In other words… Let the sun shine in.  

Get your free pdf

Click here to download a printable reminder to, "Let the sunshine in."

CREDITS:

Photos + PDF by HIVEhome team-member, Jessica Collins of Jessica Collins Photography.