Daring to be authentic

There is a question many of us avoid, yet it’s so important: What are we truly searching for – especially online?

We all spend time online, scrolling through posts, articles, and videos for different reasons. Beneath all of that, have you ever paused and asked yourself: What am I really hoping to find here? Surely, none of us are spending our precious time online for nothing. And yet – how often do we actually find what we are searching for?

Here’s the deeper question: Do we consciously, honestly know what we’re looking for online? Often, the answer lies beneath the surface. It’s not just about distraction or entertainment; it’s about longing and the needs of the heart. And those longings make us feel vulnerable, which is why it feels safer to hide them.

If we are honest, yes – all that entertainment is a distraction, one that helps us avoid feeling what we really feel: insecurity, fear, loneliness, and the longing for unconditional love.

For some of us, especially those living with PTSD or carrying old wounds, that longing is tied to our healing journey. The inner work we do is quietly changing our life for the better, one step at a time, one day at a time.

🌿 It seems we all try to show the best, most perfect, most accomplished version of ourselves online - yet offline, we are all beautifully equal: humans, vulnerable and loving, doing our very best with what we have.

Daring to be authentic and speaking our truth is not always easy, because our nervous system often needs gentler moments, slowness, and a lot of compassion. Showing our real self and exposing ourselves to the risk of rejection or criticism can demand a huge amount of courage on some days.

With PTSD, feeling vulnerable is serious, and the fear of conflicts can be a big piece of work.

Too often, what people show online is a happy world where everybody is smiling, because that is what others want to see, will like and share, and will follow. But those kinds of posts may reflect just one hour of a day with twenty‑four hours – a day in which we might feel less good and struggle with things we do not dare to share.

Let’s take a quiet moment together and allow ourselves to acknowledge this. Too often, we push our real needs and longings aside. We hide them, cover them up with quick fixes or temporary substitutes – likes, comments, endless scrolling, movies – hoping they will satisfy what’s missing. But those things cannot replace what our hearts genuinely need.

Many of us who are living with PTSD learned to survive by staying small. We learned to be quiet, to hide, to people‑please, or to disappear into the background, because that was simply safer at the time. That survival mode can become a whole way of being.

Unlearning that survival mode, gently stepping out of it, being assertive, and allowing ourselves to be seen is a learning process. We are slowly teaching our body and heart that it is safer now to speak, to feel, to take up space, and to let others witness who we really are.

What would happen if we dared to be honest more often? If we spoke openly about our true longings and needs, without fear or shame? What would happen if we gave our hearts permission to feel and to be real – even if our voice shakes, even if we need to move slowly?

Perhaps this is the invitation: to stop suppressing and start listening to our heart. To recognize that our deepest needs are not weaknesses – they are guiding lights. For those walking the path of trauma healing, these needs might include safety, softness, rest, and relationships where our nervous system can finally exhale and be met with understanding instead of judgment.

So, dear reader, I gently ask you today: What is your heart really longing for? And are you willing to honor that longing with small, honest steps – at your own pace, in your own way?

Thank you for being here, and may your day be filled with warmth, truth, and love.

If anything in this article speaks to you and you wish to talk about it, I am here for you.

With Love and Light, Jeanne