We need all of our experiences, the good ones, the bad ones, and everything in between, in order to live a whole and balanced life. If that statement is tough for you to swallow, think of it this way, nutritionists recommend we eat the rainbow of fruits and vegetables. And this makes sense because we know our bodies can’t thrive from eating just one type. We’d lack the nutrients that make up the different parts of our diet. Just as with our diet, we need all of our experiences, the rainbow of experiences, to live a whole and complete life.
Why Should We Share Our Difficult Experiences?
Most of us go out into the world armored up, we don’t put ourselves out there, we want to stay closed off because it’s not worth the risk. But what if armoring up, not putting ourselves out there, not showing our whole selves, what if those things are the things that will actually hurt us?
Being human means (if we’re lucky), we are going to have a variety of experiences: good, bad, and in between. And if we pretend like we only have one kind of experience, the good kind, then we close ourselves off to others and other kinds of experiences. Because we will all have different experiences and being able to share our most difficult experiences builds a connection with others who are also experiencing their own difficult times.
When Should You Share Your Story and Experiences?
Sharing your whole self does not mean sharing with everyone all the time. Because not everyone should hear your story. You get to decide who you want to share your difficult stories with and when. The time, place, and people you choose to share your stories with is entirely up to you.
What Are the Benefits of Embracing Our Whole Self?
It can be tough to recognize the benefits of our most difficult stories. But here are some reasons to appreciate all of our experiences, even the difficult ones.
Difficult experiences help us to:
- Survive
- Make better decisions
- Allow others to more easily relate to us
- Have deeper insights into others and better understand each other
Really connecting with others and allowing them to connect with us can only be done when we are able to embrace our whole self and our whole story.
How to Own Your Whole Story
We can’t live wholeheartedly without being vulnerable and we can’t be vulnerable without owning all of our experiences. If you are ready to explore your most difficult life experiences in order to embrace your whole self, Dr. Alyx can guide you along this path.
Dr. Alyx MacTernan offers secure online counseling sessions to residents of California, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. Fill out the website contact form to learn more.
Quote Credit: Brené Brown