You want to hide.
But part of you wants to be seen.

Shame is not truth.
It’s exposure.
It’s fear of disconnection.
It’s the belief that if they *knew*, you wouldn’t be loved.

It settles in your skin, your stomach, your eyes turned down.
It doesn’t whisper guidance, it hisses judgment.
But underneath the sting, it is trying to protect you.

Shame says:
“Don’t look at me.”
“I am not enough.”
“If I hide, I might be safe.”

What Is Shame Trying to Tell You?

• You fear rejection, not because you’re weak, but because you care.
• You’ve mistaken visibility for danger.
• There’s something you haven’t forgiven yourself for.
• You long to belong, fully, without the mask.

Invite Shame in for Tea

It may avert its eyes, speak in a whisper, wrap itself in invisibility.
You don’t need to fix it, just listen.
Just sit beside it, like a child who thinks they are bad.

Ask it:
“What are you afraid they’ll see?”
“Whose story am I still carrying?”
“What if I didn’t need to be perfect to be loved?”

Shame loosens when seen with kindness.
That kindness starts with you.

“You are not a problem to solve,
but a soul to meet.”
— Unknown