For Years, I Lived In Two Worlds.
On the surface, I was who I thought I should be — kind, charming, and successful. The guy with the good job, the good relationship, and the easy smile. But underneath it all, something darker lived. A version of me I didn’t want to admit existed — the one who hid, couldnt speak his truth, and who was just angry. I wore that mask so well, even I started to believe it. I had swallowed one of the most dangerous beliefs a man can carry: If you’re struggling, stay silent.
The idea of being found out? It felt heavy, I felt stuck. Ashamed of myself and eventually, thry crsis the truth broke through. Someone close to me saw past the illusion, and I couldn’t run from it anymore. I shut down. I ran; I literally ran punishing myself daily throwing myself into long distance Triathlon looking for validation, love and connection. I got even angrier. I disappeared. Not just the pain, but the truth: I hadn’t just been hiding from others. I’d been hiding from myself. I had a choice: I could keep running from the parts of me I couldn’t face or step into the fire, own my shadow, and start speaking the truth. And in that moment — the darkest I’d known — I learnt something powerful: We all carry a shadow…..
