Quote: Unfiltered

I just finished Unfiltered by Lily Collins. What compelled me to pick up the book is that she wanted to address topics no one wants to talk about. This hit home for me because that is what I do on a regular basis. When I was reading I found a lot of usefully information that made me think and gave me insight into experiences I have encountered. One of the quotes that stuck with me is:

“I’m not getting any younger, and the sooner I accept my story for all that it is, and let go of the shame, regrets, and fear surrounding my experiences, the sooner I can just live, love, and be loved.”

Reading this I could not help but think of how true it is. We all have things that are apart of our story that we wish were not. Sometimes we may even try to cover it up or pretend it never happened. The problem with doing that is it is like erasing a page in your story, it will no longer make sense. No matter whether an experience is good or bad, it shapes us and influences who we become. I know some things may be uncomfortable to talk about because we are afraid someone will judge us. The advice I always give in these instances is you are not the only one. I know there are other people out there who are going through the same things and you speaking out gives them the courage to talk about it too.

The most important component of this quote is that we need to let go. We need to let go of our fears, shame, embarrassment, regrets, and insecurities that surround our experiences. Our experiences are apart of us no matter how hard we try to separate them. I use to be so embarrassed about some of my experiences that I would not tell people. In fact I would get anxious whenever someone got even close to the topic or I would avoid it all together. Doing this made me feel so insecure and like I had to hide apart of me. One day I decided to talk about my past experiences and see what happened. I found that people appreciated me being so open and they shared similar experiences they had with me. In doing this I finally accepted my story and I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. By accepting my experience I was able to start living my life without the extra baggage of my fears and insecurities. I was finally able to “live, love, and be loved.”

What do you think about your experiences? What is the best way to address your experiences (the good, the bad, and the ugly)? How do you embrace your experiences? How do you let go of the extra baggage?

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