Shame Storm

You know what shame is?

Shame is a crafty fox living in between your ears telling you all the stuff you hope nobody every finds out – stirring the pot and starting fights between who you want to be and who you are stuck being.

Shame is the old cassette tape you play in your head with all the old songs and lines from the liars, cheaters, the thieves.

Shame is the tiny cut that would have healed long ago under proper care, but is now infected from neglect.

Shame serves little purpose and yet keeps us from purpose all the same.

Shame tells us to stay small and quiet.

“Nobody likes big,” it says under its breath.

“Shhhhh….that’s our secret,” it whispers.

But buried underneath shame is life. Our life.

Our light, our purpose, our dreams, our destiny all trapped under a pile of rubble smothered by shame until we no longer recognize the bright eyed child we once were.

Early or delayed onset aside, the shame song is always the same.

You aren’t worthy.

You don’t measure up.

You are sick.

You don’t belong here.

You don’t need anyone.

You don’t have what it takes.

Shame.

The giant storm brewing inside just waiting to dump buckets when you least expect it.

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Please don’t fear the storm.

Please don’t start singing shame’s song.

Please don’t be mystified by lies.

Please don’t snuff out the light or the beauty you have.

Please stop letting shame win.

It isn’t a worthy opponent.

There is so much more to fight for.

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We need to even up the score.

We need to stop pretending that happiness or pleasure is the end all, be all.

Because I think we all know that doesn’t work anyway.

Self-medicating with prescription pills, drugs, alcohol, sex, food, violence and anything else we can get our hands on to quiet the shame storms rumbling inside our heads.

And, we feed the storm anyway.

But, wait, do you see that?

The light.

It’s right there.

It’s in you too.

It’s behind the storm.

And boy does it make a beautiful sunset.