3 Most Powerful Words in the English Language

The 3 Most Powerful Words in the English Language

There are no three words in the English language that inspire greater courage than these: You’re not alone.

Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk via Compfight cc

I was sitting in a therapy session not too long ago and ashamed to admit something to my counselor. Even though it was his job to not judge me or tell anybody about what goes on in that office, I didn’t want to tell him this.

When I finally opened up, sharing something of which I was deeply ashamed, he told me he had experience a similar struggle for years. Immediately, I felt a weight lift off me.

I wasn’t alone, after all.

Every time I hear someone else’s story of struggle, I realize something. I don’t have to do this on my own. We all get stuck sometimes, wondering if anyone truly understands. And at times like these, it’s easy to feel like it’s up to you.

But that’s not true. We all need community. “No man is an island,” John Donne wrote. Something magical happens when we take a look around and realize other people are right there with us.

Finding ourselves in community

Recently, I hosted a lunch in which about a dozen people of all ages sat around a table and shared one thing they were working on and one big struggle they had. Do you know what we all learned from that table?

Everybody struggles.

Nobody sat at that table and said, “You know, I’ve got it all figured it out. I just don’t struggle.” No one.

There’s something beautiful about realizing we aren’t the only ones who have kids that don’t listen or books that don’t sell or creative ideas that stay stuck in our heads. There’s something satisfying about seeing other people struggle, too.

For me, it’s just nice to know that I’m not alone.