For most of my forty-two years, I have been living with a secret - one that’s powerful, insidious, persistent, and painful: I have been masterfully hiding from others and from myself; I have been living in the shadows of my own life; I have been living an invisible life.

There. I said it. My secret is out. I have taken one more step toward living more fully and more authentically in this world.

So, what’s the big deal? I grew up with a keen instinct to hide. It was a form of survival that I discovered and embraced. Now, as an adult, living invisibly has undermined my success and happiness. Like a magnet that’s drawn powerfully to metal, invisibility has drawn me powerfully to isolation, denial, and discomfort. It has steeped me in fear, shame, and resentment. It has underscored my failures and blinded me of my successes. But I don’t need to live this way. I have a choice. I choose to live visibly. Today I publicly declare my invisibility and embrace the healing that comes from awareness, acceptance, commitment to move forward, and a community of support.

I have developed InvisibleLives.com to create hope and opportunity for anyone who feels invisible - to those who quietly live in fear, or hide behind a veneer of humor, controversy, overworking, substance abuse, or social status. Invisible lives come in a rainbow of shapes, colors, and sizes, but we all have one thing in common: a disposition to hide our true selves.

In the past, my invisibility has shown up in many different ways such as not sharing my thoughts and feelings, unnecessarily keeping secrets from people I care about, and encouraging others to talk about themselves while I sat idly on the sidelines pretending to listen but ultimately disengaged.

How does invisibility show up in your life? Reflect on these questions and feel free to post your answers as a Comment, keep a private journal, or simply notice what comes up for you:

• How are you hiding?
• How do you make yourself invisible?
• What’s getting in your way of living a full life?
• What would your life be like if you lived more visibly?
• If you don’t feel invisible, who do you know that does feel invisible? Please let them know about InvisibleLives.com.

My vision for InvisibleLives.com includes this blog, powerful resources that will help others unlock the grip that invisibility has on them, and opportunities to participate in live workshops, teleclasses, and one-on-one coaching. Most of all, InvisibleLives.com is focused on community, support, and growth - all for the purpose of living a visible life. Here we can celebrate our collective journey from invisible to visible.

I welcome you and your future Visible Self to InvisibleLives.com.

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