Shame is Your Claim to Fame

Shame is Your Claim to Fame

A few weeks ago I was at a conference in San Diego with two of my dear friends. On the last day, I was having a conversation with one of them just before she whisked off to the airport to catch her flight. She said something that was really hurtful. It wasn’t the first time this had happened.

From that point on, I could barely listen to what she was saying. I watched her face move, but I didn’t hear the words.  Inside, a maelstrom of emotions was brewing. She was leaving in minutes to return to her home half way across the country. I didn’t want to part on such a low note after three extraordinarily energizing days.

So, I mustered my courage and spoke up. I started crying as I told her how hurt I was by her unkind words. At first she was baffled, but then she quickly apologized. We hugged and she darted off to the airport to catch her flight.

I realized after she left that her words had kicked in my decades-old shame about my worthiness as a woman. Just by naming it, I had lifted a huge weight off my back. I felt better immediately about my worthiness as a woman. Miracle!

The last thing your shame wants is to be named. But as soon as you name it, you claim your spirit back and magic happens! You can read the full story of my decades-old shame I’m shedding in my book chapter coming out any day, 21 Inspiring Women Share their Secrets and Save You Years of Struggle. Let me know if you’d like to purchase a copy.

Keep current in your relationships. The next time you are in conversation with someone and s/he says something that feels icky, trust yourself. Then muster your courage and speak up using “I” statements:  I feel X when you say Y. Let me know here how it goes!