Stay open.

Staying open is hard. It leaves you feeling really exposed and vulnerable. It's really scary. It doesn't feel comfortable at all. But that's where the magic happens. That's where all the things that shouldn't be there get sifted away. All that's left is what truly matters. The good stuff.

Stay open.

I've learned that masking what you're feeling and hiding your heart is even more uncomfortable than exposing what's inside. It's the holding back that tears you apart. It feels almost unnatural. It's a battle with your mind, really. Because we all are just screaming to be real.  Yet we don't because we are afraid. Will people accept me? Will they run when they hear the horrors of my heart? Will they be able to handle the truth? Will I be rejected? Abandoned? Will I be too much? Am I enough? Those are questions we ask ourselves when deciding if we want to be fully real or not.

You've got to be real.

At all costs.

If you are too much for some people, they are not your people. The goal here is to find the right people who accept you for exactly who you are. To be seen and loved as you are is a really powerful thing. To hide away who you really are, and bury your souls cries is just maddening. There are people, the right people, who will accept you for exactly who you are and stay. You want those people. And when you find them, cherish them. Not everyone can handle vulnerability, but the right ones for you and your life can. Find them and love them hard. You'll need each other.

Openness is really healing if you allow it to be. It will take you to places you never thought possible. Your life can completely change by just opening up. Wounds can truly be healed by speaking your truth and being honest. It's okay to feel. We live in a time where everyone is so guarded, walls are up, and feelings are brushed aside. Understandably so, we have a lot of hurt.  Again I say, it's okay to feel. You need to feel. Don't ever be ashamed for feeling, or being sensitive, It's beautiful and it's actually a gift to offer someone else. Being open allows others the freedom to be themselves and that's when lives can really be mended.

So for the love of all things good, stay open. It might feel uncomfortable at first but it's so worth it.

And you are worth that. No more hiding.