I’ve loved this song since childhood. There’s desire. There’s sweet innocence. There’s a commitment to the heart’s calling above all else. Then and now, it helps me connect to a yearning for the kind of safety that allows for authentic self-expression.
I Think We're Alone Now // Cover
Originally by Tommy James and the Shondells
We are all multidimensional beings and, more often than not, we are taught to show up in the world in ways that fall in line with what our culture expects. We are brought up to behave. But there can be tremendous tension around this when what’s really happening inside feels dramatically different from the norm.
This conflict can take the shape of so many of our hearts’ desires being constrained by our family’s expectations, the cultural values we inherit and stories we’ve been told around what’s practical, even if well-intentioned to help keep us safe.
For example, I was raised to adhere to evangelical Christian conservatism and then discovered in college that I was gay. Then I continued to work in a stable higher ed job for 15 years despite my entrepreneurial longings to fully exercise my creative spirit.
I think we’re alone now / The beating of our hearts is the only sound
When we are alone with someone who we trust to love and understand us, we can truly be ourselves. There’s a joy in feeling safe enough to express the heart-palpitating delight of being authentically who we are—loving what we love and who we love—out in the open.
Reflection
When you tune into the joy of your beating heart, what is it trying to tell you?
This is the kind of deep inquiry that visibility coaching encourages. As you cultivate inner visibility, you explore who you are in your authentic self, especially parts of you that feel like they don’t fit in yet. If you could use a trusted coach to help encourage and guide you, book a discovery call. Coaching conversations with me are safe and protected spaces where you can tune out those outside messages that aren’t serving you in order to tune into the sounds of what makes your heart beat joyfully and passionately.
