Over the past few weeks, I’ve been noticing that several key influencers I love have been writing some really honest posts about their lives. From where I stand– it’s helping create a new path for all of us.

Elizabert Gilbert & Glennon Doyle Melton — both on getting divorced.

Andie Mitchell— about losing a ton of weight and then gaining some back.

Brene Brown— on life lived messily.

I could go on. They are using social media to get naked with us about their lives in a very vulnerable fashion.

It contrasts what I think most of want social media to be– a place to create our “airbrushed” lives. Where we show people the parts of lives that look amazing and forget to mention about the times when we are deep-end-deep in a cry-fest/binge (fill in the blank with whatever your hot mess coping strategy is) pondering the meaning of our very existences. Wondering how we can go on one more minute in the mess that is the human experience.

And yet, here are these brave women using the mess as their message. And it I find it to be exhilarating liberation. Like letting the world know you are friends with the uncool kid from high school. A relief. A collective exhale of all the expectations, pressure & self-doubt we’ve been holding in for fear that the world will discover that we are not the version we’ve created out there on the playground of social media.

So much energy trying to hide those parts of us we believe the world will disown us for. And yet, the ugly parts — it’s all of us. Whatever our stories and experiences look like– a common thread. A yearning for connection & acceptance as our whole selves.

What I am learning is that acceptance starts with yourself.

When you can fall in love with all parts of your life and pull back the curtain to your own beliefs, perceptions & biases— that’s when a very authentic voice emerges.

And this voice carries power & intensity coupled with a brave “I care less what the world thinks than being true to my truth”.

Perfection is a wasted energy that robs of us of our vulnerability.

Try it— take a little baby step toward it. I’m here to tell you that I applaud your nakedness and I feel braver in my own as we share our stories.

The place where dropping our shields, our walls, our barriers will be the gateway to the thing we sometimes forget — we don’t have to search for love & worthiness.

We already have it.