To show up as our best selves, we must be able to EXPRESS OUR EXPERIENCE of life with someone else. Being truly seen, heard, and known is essential to happiness. This means that we must be able to honestly express our past hurt, our current pain, our joy, our concern, our frustration, our confusion, our love, and every other experience we encounter in our lives. We must have someone to see, hear, and know us – our true authentic us.

While there are many benefits to authenticity and vulnerability, there undoubtedly comes a time when someone in our lives reacts to our authenticity and vulnerability in a way that is not kind, true, or necessary

Last Tuesday evening, as the attendees of our Enneagram 1 class were packing up to leave, we had a quick discussion that has stuck with us. Our discussion began with someone commenting that it is sad that when people are unhealthy and behave in ways that do not serve themselves or others, the “good” they have done in their lives is forgotten or diminished.