Last night I was facilitating a #FlawlessTalks discussion with Sheila Hamilton, author of “All The Things We Never Knew,” which is the story of the loss of her husband to suicide. During my talk, I was sharing with the group about an extraordinary event that we went to last week called the Peace of Mind Storytellers Event when I suddenly became speechless (which is very rare for me.) The experience that day was so revolutionary that I had trouble describing it. While PeaceLove is a mental wellness organization, this was not an event about mental illness or mental health but… it sort of was…

I tried to explain it – this was really about the human experience. How did I describe that to the group? As I fumbled, I turned to my staff and asked from across the room how they would categorize it and one of them said, “It was an honesty convention.” Aha! Yes, perfect: An honesty convention.

At the PeaceLove event the storytellers included a wide variety of people, all ages, various professions. There were artists, musicians, chefs, corporate executives, students, moms, all people who were sharing their stories, some of which may have included something related to mental health, but some not exactly. Things that were difficult to share, “secrets” or “truths” only defined these inspiring speakers from a position of strength and light. There was a ‘normalizing,’ a self – acceptance in the celebratory tone of the way each speaker spoke. It was so powerful that everyone in the audience knew that if you wanted to be ‘cool,’ honesty was the only way. I have been to a lot of gatherings like this. and when you are around enough people who are being open, it’s contagious – you can’t help but realize the magic of being authentic. While we are not usually comfortable being vulnerable, the tide is turning and organizations like PeaceLove are leading the way.

In the spirit of continuing the “honesty convention” that started in Rhode Island, I decided to speak from this spot of courage at our book reading with Sheila. When I began the discussion, I shared with the group that the past year has been filled with an inordinate number of serious issues for me and my family (including death, divorce with a close relative and many health challenges.) I took a risk by sharing some intimate details when I publicly acknowledged three of my colleagues in the room who supported me and my family during a crisis in the winter. I was scared to do this – these were professional colleagues – but authenticity really is the only way. Once again, I realized that honesty always wins which was clearly evident in how moved Sheila was when she told the group that my tribute to our connection was one of the most meaningful introductions that she has ever experienced.

I am grateful to the team at PeaceLove for this powerful reminder to speak the truth at all times. Let’s join their movement to #CreatePeaceofMind for all and follow the advice of these brilliant storytellers to “Make connections and build communities of wellness,” because the truth is…