I have the amazing opportunity to work with a bunch of beautiful people in this class. It’s not beautiful in the traditional sense (although I’m not trying to take anything away from them), but I mean it in a much deeper way. The beauty in them emerges from the pain, doubt, and struggles they are working through. This work requires tremendous vulnerability and honesty.

Traditional beauty is skin deep and concerned with aesthetics—things we can do very little to control other than to “improve” something on the outside. How much effort do we spend trying to impress? Trying to look our best? Perhaps even trying so hard to cover up some sort of ugliness that we feel on the inside.

It is this “ugliness” that we feel internally that can make us beautiful when expressed authentically. It takes courage to bring this to light, to work through it, and to learn from it. In our class, we learn about the importance of holding space, sitting in silence, and leading with the heart. It is in this state that we create the opportunity for something beautiful to be born.

What is that thing we are giving birth to? It’s multi-faceted. On one hand, we are giving birth to transformation and liberation. We are stepping into a liminal space, hunkering down in a cocoon, and ultimately emerging into something else altogether. On the other hand, this process gives birth to something equally beautiful: connection.

It is in our pain, our suffering, and our willingness to be vulnerable that we create meaningful connections. Sure, we can create connections through good times, good memories, and positive emotions, but somehow they don’t carry the same weight. Which feels more valuable: winning the lottery or working for it? Sure, winning the lottery is awesome and I doubt many would say no to it, but it wasn’t earned. It was something “given” to us versus something “earned.”

When we sit in these states of discomfort, we are offering a gift to the world. We are saying “hey, I’m going through this. I trust you enough to open myself to you, and I’m willing to show you who I really am.” It is also a gift to sit on the other side and receive the same thing. Whether you are holding or taking up space, you are offering a gift to the world. You are offering the gift of your beautiful spirit.