Unfiltered Truth

I can count on one hand the number of times that someone I know was brave enough, vulnerable enough, to share the unfiltered truth of their experience. When I write “unfiltered truth” what I mean is the sharing of a challenge or struggle when you’re still in the thick of it. I’ve heard Glennon Doyle refer to this space as the “messy middle”. If we are talking about a relationship, perhaps it’s every event that precipitates the contemplation of divorce, navigating infidelity, abandoning yourself for your partner, losing your identity in the role of parent, or supporting a loved one who is living with an addiction. For many of us it is these exact moments that connection, support, and community can serve as a flotation device to keep us from drowning but many of us choose to navigate these challenges in isolation. 

The ability to courageously share your unfiltered truth is a gift because through that sharing isolation loses its grip and safety and connection are created. In every instance that I’ve been privileged enough to hold space for another’s “messy middle”; countless others who are living or have lived through a similar experience feel seen, they feel less alone. I’ve heard so many say in response to the sharing of an unfiltered truth “Me too”! Through sharing, our experiences become normalized, we find support, we create space for connection and trust. 

I wonder how we might change not only our own lives but the lives of everyone that we encounter if we embrace vulnerability, honesty, courage, and share our authentic truth. The beauty, the pain, the wins, and the messy middle. What a phenomenal gift it is to be seen and create space for others to be seen.