Have you ever thought of the idea of “living out loud?” It doesn’t mean you’re loud or even that you share all the things with all the people.
Through my time in the program Celebrate Recovery, we learn about how “we’re only as sick as our secrets,” meaning that as long as we keep secrets in the dark, those secrets can become more harmful. Once a secret or shame is brought to light, it has the chance to heal because its dangerous and hurtful power is lost.
So much of the 12 steps and 8 principles in the program is about bringing our hurts, habits and hangups into the light so we can turn them over to God and heal from them. We are powerless to heal ourselves but until we admit that to ourselves, to God, and trusted others, we will continue to live with secret shame and agony.
The final part of living out loud, especially in any kind of recovery program, is using how God has healed and guided you to help others. That’s what I try to do while finding balance in having boundaries with what I share.