I am often asked how is that I am able to allow my true vulnerability to be paraded through the daily posts on my blog, as well as with all my daily clients. And it DOES NOT stop there! My vulnerability is as equally on constant display with my friends and family members as well. Keeping with this notion, I will be vulnerable and completely transparent to share with the New Age Nerd community that this has NOT always been the case. In fact, far from it! I used to be incredibly withdrawn and shy. I remember one story during High School in which my sister (One year my junior) came home one day and asked if she could have a chat . She said that she had been confronted from several of her cute girlfriends who did not not know what to think of me. They would invariably approach me during breaks between classes, to which I would politely say “Hi!” and then promptly walk away! This was in no way an indication of my core BEING. I have always been kind, compassionate, and extremely sensitive! Now what it demonstrated was a telltale sign of my lack of self worth and self love that any girl would want anything to do with me at that point in my life. I say that not to sound pathetic, but rather to be transparent in my own process toward self realization. And while I did go back to each and every one of these young ladies to apologize for my behavior, I DO NOT regret one moment of the experience these co-creations afforded me. Why?!? Because they have now become a pantheon in my personal BOOK of My Hero's Journey toward my purpose and path. And I have accepted them all for the gifts they have brought me and that I now use to share with others who are still searching through their own darkness, looking for the light of their salvation.
Please do not UNDERESTIMATE the POWER of your own Story! It is not the highest choice to allow your story to DEFINE WHO YOU TRULY ARE! But sharing your pain, challenges, and Soulful Struggles are perhaps the most potent gift we can offer one another. One of my favorite quotes comes from Harold Goddard who declared with such mythological wisdom, “The destiny of the world is less determined from the battles lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in.” Amen to that! In fact, that is why I begin every post with “Mythological Magic.” As Joseph Campbell learned through several decades of study, stories and myths contain the spiritual guideposts to our own TRUTH! It is not a coincidence that we all flock to movies like Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, and the latest comic book movie at our local cineplex. Whether we realize it or not, these stories touch our subconscious with an inspirational zest we take away from the theatre and incorporate into our own Hero's/Heroine's Journey!!
Somebody once told me with firm conviction that the five most important words you can share with someone are: LET ME TELL YOU A STORY!! Not to make a co-creation all about you however. Quite the opposite actually. It is the most authentic manner of showing others our VULNERABILITY. Bene Brown, a vulnerability expert did an entire Ted talk about this very subject. In her speech, she says that it is not just the fear of failure and shame that causes people to feel vulnerable, making them risk averse and paralyzing them into inaction. Brown says that you must believe in yourself and “have the courage to be imperfect” and accept vulnerability. Brown says that you must “believe you are enough”, which will allow you to accept vulnerability, take risks, and reap the rewards. And I will add to that that it is in the process of sharing our own vulnerability with others that emits a Shining and Soulful Light to let others know that not only are they never alone in their pain and suffering, but there is a LOVE Light at the end of the tunnel waiting to embrace them like a marathon runner who has finished their treacherous race!! But this race has no ending. It is just the ending of one process toward transformation and Re-membrance, as we head to the next chapter!
As a Life and Leadership Master Coach, I cannot tell you how many times my vulnerable sharing of lessons learned along my path have created true AH HA moments of transcendence for my clients! Whether you are a coach or not, we ALL have the same capability of giving to others parts of our personal stories when appropriate. May I just ask you to Re-member as a strong suggestion to ALWAYS ask permission before giving out unsolicited advice. For doing so can be a very disrespectful and painful action step toward another Soul's precious process and unique Journey! But as long as there is a mutual consensus to do so, you may be delightfully amazed at the power of true change and new transformative creation your stories contain for the world to hear...........
Nerdmaste,
Jeffrey Louis Martinez
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