CONNECTION HEALS WHAT SHAME CONVINCES YOU TO HIDE

When a social circle talks about things that make us feel like there is something fundamentally wrong about who we are, we tend to withdraw ourselves out of shame. It might instinctively feel correct to hide our shame to preserve social belonging, but it can also become the very thing that threatens the connection we’re trying to preserve.

Isolating from others doesn’t heal the shame, it deepens you to feel more shame.
Hiding parts of yourself doesn’t protect you from rejection, it trains you to expect rejection.
Avoiding others doesn’t erase your struggles, it affirms you to keep holding onto your struggles.

Social belonging comes from challenging ourselves to be in the presence of others, even when we feel every reason to withdraw. Even if that means being around a different group of people, bonding a connection with others reminds us that we are not alone as our shame might convince us to believe.