Come Out From the Shadows

I know it’s a dark picture. I know it’s hard to see. I am sure there is more to this room than meets the eye. That’s the point.

I was on The Pirates of the Carribean this recently and really struck with this reality; we are only able to see what Disney wants us to see and a great deal has to do with lights and shadows.

We do the same thing in life…others in our lives see only that which we allow them to see and a great deal of this has to do with lights and shadows.

Follow me for a bit…there are several areas of life that we hide. We hide it for many reasons (shame, pain, regret, fear, etc) but whatever the reason you can be sure that we hide it because we are trying to protect ourselves. I think that many of us have gotten so used to hiding these areas of our lives that we have almost convinced ourselves that they don’t exist. Almost.

We get used to living in the shadows of life, only seeing and experiencing the life that is expected or acceptable. We go through life setting up a reality that others can see and accept…we live a Fakebook life. We use light and shadows to show people what we want them to see and we use light and shadows to hide what we don’t what others to see.

While this works to create a magical experience at Disneyland, I don’t think this is the best way to live our lives…it creates a fake and inauthentic life.

Please hear me, there is nothing wrong with Facebook or social media but I really question so much of what I see people post. People spend a lot of money on professional photography to take pictures of a life that they want others to see. Companies spend thousands of dollars on apps that allow you to edit, crop, adjust and transform your pictures and videos. Think about it; How many pictures do you take until you get one that “works”? How many times do you stop a “crazy” situation to take a picture and post in order to show how awesome things are in the moment? What would happen if you posted the first photo, without editing or adjusting? What would happen if people saw your life as it is, without any need for shadows or mood lighting?

Ok…I am not a “speaker for humanity” so let me just speak for me.

I have spent much of my life hiding in the shadows. I have spent much of my life only showing people what I want them to see. I have spent a great deal of time using light and shadows to only show you the best parts of my life and hide the dark parts of my life. I have spent much of my life feeling like I don’t measure up. I have spent much of life feeling like I haven’t accomplished anything worth sharing or talking about. I have spent so much of my life afraid that if others find out who I really am…I will be exposed as a fraud.

I have never hidden the fact that I have struggled. I have never hidden the fact that I have hurt others made mistakes in life. But I have never really embraced that reality as a strength in my life…I have spent much of my life feel like a fake or phony even when I am being open and honest.

Much of my life I have felt like an imposter.

The Impostor Syndrome is a psychological pattern where the individuals doubt their own accomplishments and they carry around within them a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds.

For some of us, that is a scary place and the thought of coming out of the shadows and being authentic and real in front of others creates all kinds of anxiety and fear that is almost debilitating.

It’s time to come out of the shadows!

It’s time to live life out loud! It’s time to live life to the fullest! It’s time to take the courage to be vulnerable and be honest with ourselves and with others!

Who among us is perfect? Who among us is without “sin”? Who among us doesn’t feel regret, shame or insecure at times?

That’s what makes us human! So let’s together make the courageous decision to stop living in the shadows, to stop feeling like an imposter or a fake, to embrace our strength and the reality that all of the adversity in life makes us all stronger!

Dare to come out of the shadows and live your true, authentic life today.