My whole life, I have felt that I could hear the truth of other’s hearts, whether or not they were speaking those truths with their mouths. In a quiet room, I heard what everyone wasn’t saying. It got me into a lot of trouble. I was shocked at an early age to learn that others weren’t necessarily ready or willing to face, let alone speak their truth. I started to understand that people hide, and it has taken me years to gather information to understand better why we hide. I have a lot of compassion for that need to hide now. But after years of my own hiding, the pain became too great. It broke me down and forced me back out. Pain and trauma helped me reconnect with my ability to feel my way to knowing. And surviving it all gave me the confidence to start trusting my gifts again.