The Power of Sharing Your Story.
Healing takes a lot of work.
Whether you are emotionally or physically healing it can take the wind out of your sails on the days you feel you are going it alone.
Recently, I was speaking to my colleagues about the power of sharing your story.
Sharing the intricacies of your life, pain points, moments of joy and deep sorrow can be empowering for your healing.
When I began to share my health journey and recovery from C-PTSD I would oftentimes remind myself that the more you can bring your pain into the light the less weight it will have over you.
Not only do I believe that sharing your story can be incredibly healing but it reminds me of a quote by Brené Brown, which says “ Your journey of what you have been through will be someone else’s survival guide.”
I have found this to ring true. When I am going through a hard time and read or hear someone else’s story of what they have been through I often feel empowered and seen by their words.
I tell my clients that to share your story does not always mean you have to speak it out loud or post it on social media.
Some of us do not have a person that we can confide in, or are not ready to share our story out loud and that is OKAY.
When you tell your story you no longer have to carry your burden alone.
I want to share with you a part of a lesson that I teach my clients in my 12 week group course, Emotional Health Accelerator, about the Power of Sharing Your Story.
Below is a guide to how you can share your story, remember it does not have to be to anyone, but go through it and let me know what you think.
Lastly and most importantly remember: You are doing the best you can!
Guide for Sharing Your Story
1.) Write your story out.
Whatever that looks like to you, it might be a pen and paper, you might type it out, you might draw what you are feeling but get your story outside of yourself.
Don’t think too much and overanalyze what you are going to say (or draw) just try and start.
The first step in telling your story is start with the facts. What happened to you?
Write down everything that is true for YOU.
Once you have written down what is true for you add more context.
Describe how you were feeling, what does your body feel like as you write your story, are you tense, angry, sad? Is your jaw tight? Tongue on the roof of your mouth? Shoulders in your ears?
Write it all out.
2.) Next is to speak your story out loud.
If you find someone that you trust, then ask them if they have the space for you to share your story with them.
Whomever you are opening up to you want to be conscious of their energy and if they have the space and capacity to listen to your story.
Ideally this individual would be a part of your Personal Healing Advisory, someone that you have a great deal of trust in and feel deeply that you can share the more painful parts of your story with.
If you do not have a person that you can share your story with then I would do one of the following depending on your comfort level:
a.) Read it out loud to yourself. Then hug yourself and/or do an inner child
meditation to let your body know you are safe now.
b.) Let it be, don’t look at it again and save it in your archives.
c.) Do something that feels right for you it might not be either of these and
that is OKAY this is YOUR healing space.
3.) Lastly, the final step that I love to have my clients do is to take the piece of paper that they have their story on, whether that is written or printed and find a spot in the world and burry the letter.
Let the weight of your story be absorbed by something that is not you.
Say an affirmation as you bury the piece of paper.
It could be “I am no longer keeping my story in the dark, I am bringing it to the light.” Or “I am enough”. Whatever resonates for you.
Remember you are doing the absolute best you can.
Proud of you!
Hugs,
Ali Kates
Certified Trauma Coach
Somatic Experience Practitioner (In-Training)
www.alikates.co/emotionalhealthaccelerator
If you are ready to show up as your best self, apply for my signature group coaching program here.
