I have just come back from a retreat, it was amazing to have some space to think deeply about my weakness and that which I am struggling with. Yesterday I spoke at the retreat twice about emotional resilience and vulnerability.
My main message was called
Your Story
Black, White or Grey
Every person has a story.
We often try to make sense of that story by categorizing what has happened in our lives in black and white terms.
We try to come up with formulas to make sense of what happened and why it happened.
I have found in my life, most of the parts of my story have been more grey.
Not dark depressed grey, just a shade of grey and there often wasn’t a formula to make sense of the happenings.
I had to process through confession, community and counsel.
I had to find a way to own my story.
How about you?
Your story may be hard, it may be full of many secrets, it may be colorful or covered in grey.
Your story will always be unique.
Your story will always be unlike any one else’s story, because every one of us responds to difficulty and circumstance and opportunities in very different ways.
One of my favorites authors Brene Brown says it this way;
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
Brené Brown
We need to own our story and I believe create out of that space. When we create out of a space that is focused on trying to please people, I believe our produce is full of flaws.
Creativity that comes from a shallow place will produce shallow results.
Creativity that has been tested and grounded in a vulnerable, open, real place will always be more accessible and always will impact the audience so much more.
Being vulnerable is risky.
Being vulnerable is a uncomfortable place.
But what if we were actually all vulnerable enough to say, yes I don’t have it all together and no I am not always okay but together we can walk out this story to a new land of possibility.
Own your story.
Breathe in and out deeply.
Find the peace you are looking for.
Hope in adversity
Peace in uncertainty
A
