Setting up my practice and website has been both exciting and terrifying, because it has meant coming out of the intuitive closet. Over the years, as I have studied yoga, meditation, energy healing, and animal communication, I have told very few people about my experiences--mostly because I was afraid they would think I was nuts! I have felt tremendous support from close family members, but others in my social circle had no idea that I was doing any of these things. At times I have tried to share what I was learning, and how it impacted me, but friends talked right over me, showing no interest in hearing or understanding what I was trying to communicate.
In the past year, I started trying again to speak my truth--to tell the full story of who I am, who I am becoming. It has been scary at times, and I've been met with some eye rolls; it's hard not to experience that as rejection. But I have been buoyed and amazed by the positive and supportive responses I have been getting. My disclosure has opened up unexpected conversations and revelations. I was having lunch with a friend last week and asked if she would be interested in an animal communication reading. Not only was she excited about it, but she began to tell me about her own explorations. "I kinda believe in past lives," she admitted in a half-whisper. "Oh, I totally believe in past lives!" I exclaimed. And by the time we paid the check, we had made a date to go see Brian Weiss the next time he is at the Omega Institute.
I know that the reception I have been getting says more about me than the other person--about how I have changed. I am clear about who I am, and confident that I am on the path that I was meant to walk. It is easier to communicate about my experience when I can fully embody it. This shift has been healing, and I feel open and ready for what's next. The most exciting part of this coming out process is that it has shown me how dramatically my own opening is impacting the world around me. As I dare to speak about what matters to me, I invite others to do the same. And I find love, compassion, kindness, and support as I create it for the people with whom I am sharing.
My question for you is: How have you been hiding? What wonderful gifts await you, if you dare to shine more brightly...?