"If this ever happens again, call me right away."
It was three weeks after I had the panic attack that changed my world.
My grandma was upset I hadn't called her sooner. She's a saint.
We had spent the last two hours talking about what I went through and how she had a similar experience in her forties.
It gave me peace to know that she also experienced the dark night of the soul—That I wasn't alone in my experience.
Have you ever felt that? Like you're the only one going through what you're facing?
You're likely not.
Someone, somewhere, has faced a similar battle.
And someone, somewhere, will soon face a similar battle.
That's why I've shared my experience with you. And will continue sharing.
And I plead you to share yours.
Yes, it will feel like you're going outside without any clothes on.
But holding it in does nothing for those who will face a similar battle and could use your insights.
I believe it's our duty to share our war stories. Even if only one person reads them.
Maybe you don't want to come off as weak (having a mental breakdown), egotistical (it's not about me), or push people away ("Is this guy sane?").
I get it.
But the truth is: it's selfish not to share your story.
Why's it selfish? Only you benefit from it.
No one knows X happened to you, or you made Y failure.
You're not serving your audience.
You could argue that you're waiting for the perfect time. But why not share a little bit then?
You could argue that people go overboard with this (venting too much). But most never go far enough.
Especially guys.
We see opening ourselves up as a weakness. I see it as a strength.
What story have you kept a secret?
How could you share that with your audience to possibly help someone?
Maybe no one benefits from it.
But by holding it in, you will never know if it could have helped someone.
🧠 // JO