Sharing Your Unpolished Story

Hey there. I have been thinking a lot about how we share our experiences and why they matter. Not the polished versions. Not the 60 second summaries that get pushed around social media. I mean the real stories. The ones that come from actually living through something and taking the time to understand what those moments meant.

I see so many quick hit videos where someone tries to cram ten years of lessons into a single minute. Maybe they have lived what they are talking about. Maybe they have not. The problem is not the video itself. The problem is that we forget how valuable our own experience is when we watch everyone else deliver condensed advice without context. It makes us second guess what we know. It makes us feel like our story is not enough unless it fits neatly into a checklist or a trend.

This shows up everywhere. It shows up in fitness when people try to summarize the entire weight loss process as calories in calories out without mentioning the emotional work or the identity shifts that have to happen. It shows up in career decisions when everyone talks about success as if it is one linear achievement. It shows up in relationships when people share highlight reels and leave out the conversations that actually build connection. We miss the depth because we are moving too fast to reflect.

I think we need more of the opposite. More slowing down. More substance. More people sharing their lived experience in a way that gives others room to breathe and think. I used to be known as the podcast pusher because I wanted everyone to create their own platform and simply talk about their life. Some of you did and it led to brand new communities and meaningful connections. Some of you learned to trust your own voice for the first time.

My entire inside/out philosophy comes from my own lived experience. It did not come from a checklist. It did not come from a sixty second summary. It came from years of trying to fit quiet personal lessons into whatever fitness or life trend was popular at the moment. And it never worked. What did work was figuring out how I felt, what I actually believed, and how I wanted to show up in the world. That part took time. It always does.

That is why I record episodes like the one this post is based on. They are not polished. They are audio journals. They are moments where I am processing in real time because I want you to see what that looks like. You are allowed to think out loud. You are allowed to explore a thought before it is finished. You are allowed to share your story even if it is messy and still unfolding.

If you are on a weight loss journey and you have been doing this for years you already know that the real lessons do not come from highlight reels. They come from the days when you show up for yourself even when you are tired. The days when you eat in a way that supports your future self. The days when you choose to speak to yourself with compassion. Those are the moments that shape everything.

Your story is worth sharing. Not because it fits into an algorithm but because it will help someone else finally feel understood. And it will help you see just how much substance you have built along the way.

If this message hits you and you want support while doing your own inside/out work I would love to have you inside The YLF Experience. It is a space where you build your own approach with guidance. You can join here.