Freedom in being TRANSPARENT
“There’s freedom in being transparent.” I wish I would’ve known of this statement years ago, then I could’ve gotten rid of a perfect image that I portrayed to the world and to myself. If I really was open to being free, then I could be my true authentic self and really be able to help others. For so long I used many excuses to rationalize my inabilities to relate to others, chalking it up to just being shy. While granted that was the case, I didn’t want others to already have a preconceived notion of who I was, but I wasn’t even willing to open myself to allow people to see “who I really was.”
What I didn’t realize then was that when I’m not true to myself, then no one can get to really know me or understand me. I was the type of person who didn’t want my insecurities to be highlighted, not even the slightest. It was so sad, I wouldn't even allow anyone to see the “real me”, knowing those were the parts that God would use to draw certain people into my path to help and return the favor. At that time I didn’t know God's plan for my life and I didn't know how he would use what I’ve gone through to be a blessing to others.
I don’t know about you, but I had so many excuses swirling in my head leading me to doubting myself. How crazy is it, that we allow the naysayers and negative thinking, even our own selves, push us out of destiny into what God wants. Often times we think that we aren’t capable of reaching goals, or helping others because of what we’ve been through or because of our background story. Trust me, I know because I’ve thought that of myself. I was even doubting myself in the midst of writing. Sometimes we are the only ones in the way of ourselves. It’s okay to not have it all together, and we aren’t supposed to. Even God knows that you don’t have it all together, because if you did then you wouldn't need to depend on him (Philippians 3:12).
When you find freedom in being transparent you quiet the voices of just yourself, and you open yourself up to others that you would've never known that they needed to hear your testimony. When you're transparent you're able to share experiences with others and you see that you’re not alone. In my own journey, I’ve seen that being honest of past struggles helps not only yourself, but others in their process. You never know what people are going through, and someone could be waiting for you to open up, so they can finally have the courage to exhale and admit “me too.” Think about how freeing it is to let go of all expectations and just live in the truth God has for you.
I encourage you to not let your past dictate where you are going, and to not let the fear of being vulnerable silence you. Let your transparency bring you peace. When I was finally able to become transparent with not only family and friends but to myself and most importantly to God, that’s when I noticed the burdens were falling off. I wasn’t pretending to be someone or something that I wasn’t. I was able to release the burdens of insecurities and the idea of “perfection” to God, and he was able to carry those (Matthew 11:28-30). There’s absolute truth and freedom in you being transparent to yourself and to others. I just encourage you to be transparent at least with yourself, if no one else. Allow yourself to be made free in God and allow him to take on your burdens and transform you with a new mindset. No matter what you’ve gone through, what you’re currently going through now, or what you see ahead, God is always offering freedom to you.
Aniysa Raiford is a Registered Behavior Technician working with children with Autism. She enjoys reading and encouraging others. Social Media Handles : Instagram @aniysaraiford | Twitter @aniysaraiford