get your rear end gear with Lori. I'm your host Lori McAfee. Hey y 'all, it's been a hot minute. Kind of an MIA, but this one, it's going to be raw and real unedited because right now I'm without a podcast producer, but that's okay. We're going to make this work. So today, I want to explore a question with you that might catch many of you off guard. The question is, what are you hiding? Interestingly enough, that question, when it was first posed to me, I got a little defensive about it. And I was like, nothing. What do you mean? What am I hiding? I'm not hiding anything.
and it wasn't about the podcast. It was about another question and I understand the reasoning behind the question but when I allowed that question to really simmer it revealed a profound truth.
aren't we all in some way concealing parts of ourselves? It's a thought that, you know, it can be very unsettling and can be incredibly liberating if we dare to explore really what are you hiding? So we're going to take this little trip and we're going to talk about The idea that we're hiding ourselves in the shadows and how to move into the light of transparency and authenticity and uncovering and understanding and ultimately celebrating the entirety of who we are, including those shadows. Now, every time I think of shadows, I think of a song my daughter wrote one time when she was probably four and it was no any shadows. and she loved that song because she didn't like shadows and shadows is the darkness.
Um, but at the core of the reason that we hide is the fear of vulnerability. That scares me to death sometimes, you know, to reveal your true self, including your weaknesses, your fears, your insecurities. And it's kind of like we're standing on a battlefield, but we have nothing to protect us. And that fear, it is so deeply rooted in the need to protect ourselves from a threat. And that keeps us from connecting authentically with other people. I think a lot of that comes from society and it's a framework and maybe it's something that we've considered to be acceptable or even desirable and it causes us to put a mask on and to mask parts of ourselves that don't fit into the mold that we think are part of that framework.
And so, you know, if it's hiding your passions or doubts or even the aspects of your identity, the pressures to conform can be completely overwhelming and it can lead us to living a life that is not fully ours. We're so dominated by social media, the pursuit of a curated, perfected life that is an illusion.
And that illusion of perfectionism, it encourages us to hide any aspect of our life that doesn't measure up to what's often unattainable standard anyway. And it's a culture of comparison and dissatisfaction. And that's a lot of the culture that we live in today. And as we know, comparison is the thief of joy.
lori (04:05.842)
And so how do we move from the darkness into light and embrace that vulnerability? It's a path from hiding to shining. And it begins with embracing the vulnerability. As Brene Brown so eloquently put this, vulnerability is not winning or losing. It's having the courage to show up and be seen where you have no control over the outcome.
It's the exposure that we find in our strength and our authenticity. And when we allow ourselves to be seen, we open a door of genuine connections where authenticity and genuineness attract one another and it creates a relationship and it builds a solid foundation of trust and mutual understanding. And this connection reminds us that we're not alone in our struggles and that I imperfections that makes us a human. That is part of our humanity is imperfection.
Every person has a unique story and it is marked with multitudes of triumphs, failures, joys and heartaches. And by stepping into the light and sharing our stories, we don't, it's not only liberating to ourselves, but it also empowers others to do the same. And that's why I love what I do. Being a story coach and helping people to really understand their story and to share your story because I've always wanted to know what makes someone tick and it's your story and I love to help you share your story because that story even though a lot of times we think that story has to define us it doesn't define us.
lori (06:04.53)
Yes, it does shape us, but it does not have to define us. Your story is not the ending. And when we share these vulnerabilities, we find a collective amount of healing and strength because my thoughts are your healing is hiding in your story.
And the shadows, they exist only when we turn our backs to the light. And when we face the light with open arms that our true colors, they shine not in spite of our shadows, but because of them. And you know, that line, it really, to me is, is so...
brought to light and reminded me of the powerful piece of scripture that speaks of the journey of going from being concealed and hiding to the shining light. And that's Ephesians 5 13. This is but everything exposed to the light. It becomes vulnerable and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
And this verse is so beautifully wraps up the transformative power of stepping into your authentic self. And as we expose our inner workings, if you will, to the light.
It's not that we only become visible, but we become a beacon to others and we guide them on a path of self discovery and authenticity. It's so beautiful when you share your story because you, you open the door for someone else to be truly authentic and to share their story. Um,
lori (08:04.594)
I recently spoke at a church in South Georgia and afterwards I had a lady that came to me and was, you know, she was saying, thank you so much for sharing your story. And because your story has given me permission to share my story and to realize that my story is part of my healing. And it is because my story is part of my healing.
And that's why I love to share it because I never want another woman, man, child, human to ever feel the way that I felt. And I have a good life, but we all get caught up in that hiding and not wanting to be vulnerable. I say we have to be fearlessly vulnerable and when we are fearlessly vulnerable then we are able to really truly open ourselves up for the truth. So when you're faced with a question what are you hiding?
Let's see it not as something that's an accusation, but as an invitation. And it's an invitation to be able to explore, to understand, and to ultimately reveal the depth and the beauty of your true self. It's a journey that is wrapped in vulnerability and fear. And...
It is right there with the potential for growth. It is on the rim of the potential for that growth connection and a life that is fully lived and fearlessly in the light. And when I say that it's right there on, on the rim, on the edge, you are right there because you that, that edge is what separates you from the darkness and from the light.
lori (10:10.866)
And it's constantly there being able to move back and forth, back and forth. So that sometimes you're exposed to the light. Sometimes you're back into the darkness. What if we walk in the light? And I mean, scripture even tells us to walk in the light. So I want you to think about that question. What are you hiding? Are you really willing to open yourself up to be fearlessly vulnerable? To share your, to share your story and to share your story as one of healing for yourself and for others. So I want to thank you very much for joining me on this exploration, if you will. May we all have the courage to come face to face with a lot, to shine brightly and to live as your authentic, true self, the person that God created you to be. So until next time.
Here I am, Lori McAfee, reminding you to embrace your story, every part of it, and to always remember that.
Your life is a choice and remember the day that you decided. And I want to encourage you to keep moving forward to become the person that God created you to be. And thank you for sharing this time with me. If you've enjoyed it, please like it, subscribe it, and share it. And hey, I would love it if you would give me one of those five star ratings. So I'll talk to you guys soon. Have a great day. And thank you again for sharing your time with me.
Takeaways
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