Being Seen, Vulnerability, And Expansion

Allowing Yourself To Be Seen

I was at the airport one time drinking coffee and journaling.
I had taken photos of my coffee, my journal, myself, my surroundings, and I planned to do a livestream after I was done with journaling.

Traveling is epic and I fully believe it’s always something to share.

A lady put her things down at the table in front of me and she looked around to see if anyone was looking as she put her phone in front of her.
I was looking up at that point, observing and thinking and flowing through my next level of quantum leaping.

“I don’t always do this you know,” the lady said over to me.
I was snapped out of my daze.

“Do what?” I responded.

“I don’t always take selfies, it’s just that my daughter would buzz out at this place.”

“Oh. It’s a pretty funky place, I think it’s new. And also it’s cool you’re taking a selfie, go for it. I’ve already taken lots at different angles.”

She took her selfie. I’m sure it looked good.
And then she asked me to take a photo of her and the two ladies that walked over to her whom I’m assuming were traveling with her.
I took multiple. And my only judgment is her phone didn’t have portrait mode because it would have been an epic photo in portrait mode.

There is no judgment in allowing yourself to be seen.
There is no judgment in showing up for yourself and sharing you with others and the world.
You don’t have to feel shame for being you.

The only judgment that comes through is from people who need to allow themselves to be seen and are shaming themselves.

I set up my tripod and took about 5 minutes trying to find the perfect spot, the perfect lighting, the perfect angle, the perfect height. And I started it. No holding back, showing up as if I was on my own in my house.

The Power Of Vulnerability

Brene Brown says

“Vulnerability sounds like truth but feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they are never weakness.”

To allow yourself to be seen is showing your truth in courage. Even with the fear of being judged.
We become vulnerable and open ourselves up to ridicule but if we decide to jump in anyway, the opportunities for expansion are endless.

Every single time I show up online, and every single time I find myself doing the abnormal to what people are used to, I feel vulnerable.

Every. Single. Time.

I’ve experienced a lot of shame and ridicule that I can feel it all when I’m about to step out and open myself up in a vulnerable way.
What I experience once I’ve done the thing is triumph, it’s that “fuck yeah I did it” feeling. The same feeling I got when I was livestreaming at the airport in front of the 3 women I just took the photo of and the others who are sitting around drinking their beverages waiting for their flight.

Stepping In To Expansion

I have a rule for my life.
If I can feel any sense of joy that could come from the scary thing, from being seen and showing up in my truth, I focus on that.
I focus on how I get to feel in the positive sense, and not how debilitating it would be if I did it and something negative happened.

It always works, of course.
I get to expand my capacity for joy and for growth even more and I’m feeding the part of me that is power and the part of me that is love for myself.

It’s what it all comes back to.
Love for self first, and love for others.

You then find yourself the gift of connection to all the parts of yourself you found shame in previously, and bringing them all up to be seen with love.

THAT is when a life on your terms is created, and only then can you see that YOU are worthy of receiving it.