Be Real

I recently came across this quote from poet, and overall badass woman, Janne Robinson, which hit home for me so I want to share it with you:

"Let us not censor today, or any day for that matter. Let us tell when we are wronged, cry when we are hurt, shout when we are loving. Let our tears fall like rain onto the red hot tundra of this earth unapologetically. Truth needs to make it through all the cracks we build in a world that is afraid to be vulnerable.
Scream the makings of your blood to the moon and the yellow sun and do not ever stop to ask, 'Can they handle it?' Can the world handle you with your red heart beating open?
If it cannot, they may stick their heads like ants into the ground by their own will.
You are here to shout the juicy joy that falls from your lips--rid the walls, and let your truth roam the streets hungry and feverish and chase away all who have not tasted the vulnerability of their own hearts."

Excuse my french, but FUCK YES. I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of our world thinking that strength is hiding behind the truth of our emotions. That strength is pretending that everything is perfectly fine and sweeping discomfort under the rug. Fuck that. True strength is to be found in vulnerability; being open and real about your emotions. Stop hiding behind the "it's cool, I'm fine" mask. No. If you're sad, be sad. If you're angry, get angry! If you love someone so damn much that you literally want to scream about it at the top of your lungs, then scream! At the top of your lungs, shout that love so damn loud that you can feel that energy pour from your lips out into this world that so desperately needs people shouting about passionate love.

Let it out! The good, the bad, the ugly, just let it out. Be real with yourself. Be real with others no matter what that looks like. There's nothing to be scared of, other than hiding from your own self. Afraid of what people might think/say/feel about you and your problems/emotions? Again, excuse my french, but fuck them! If someone has a problem with you and how you feel, that is on them, not you. As Janne said, if they cannot handle you and your true emotions, "they may stick their head(s) into the ground." Personally, I cannot count the amount of times I have shamelessly cried in public. Or even just burst out into laughter when I'm standing by myself in line because I thought of something funny. And I must say it feels damn good. Sure, wiping the tears and snot from my face as a stranger looks at me with a "good god woman pull it together" look on their face, is a little awkward at first, but it's more empowering than anything else. Being able to truly feel all the raw emotions that pass through you as they come is super liberating.

So, this week, I challenge you to feel. Get real with yourself and stop hiding! Going on like everything is fine and dandy isn't strength. Being able to come face-to-face with your problems/emotions and not run away, but rather sit with them and learn from them, that's strength. It's always easier to run away, especially from the "bad" emotions, but there's no growth in that. So again, I challenge you to stop hiding and be real. Cry when you want to cry, fucking scream when you want to scream, and when you're happy and giddy then laugh and smile big. Raw, honest emotions are a wonderful thing. Feel them all and let yourself step into your power as you grow into the strong, vulnerable and beautiful human you already are.

With love,

Janelle