How Instagram Changed My Life

Hello!
My name is Aurora and I struggle with anxiety and severe depression. Up until about a year ago, I kept this a secret from pretty much everyone.
That is, until I got an Instagram account.
Yep, Instagram!
What started out as a way for me to record my yoga progress quickly and unexpectedly turned into a space where I started to share what I thought at the time were my deepest, darkest secrets: my struggles with severe anxiety and depression.
The more I opened up about these experiences, the more I received overwhelming support and kindness from friends and complete strangers. Whenever I uncovered something painful or came to a realization that helped me heal, I wrote it down and posted it. Slowly, my writings became longer and more detailed. Some of the pieces turned into poems, and others turned into stories that ended up spilling over into the comments section underneath my photos.
With the growth of my account, I started getting messages and comments from people all around the world, telling me that this vulnerability and truth-telling thing was bringing them to tears, giving them chills, and inspiring them to be more courageous and bold in their own lives.

I still can’t comprehend what a gift it is to know that what I love to do is able to evoke such emotion and change. It’s an honor to be able to create a space where we can all sit and sift through our brokenness, share stories, raise our hands, and proudly proclaim, “Me too.” It’s an incredibly humbling and privileged place to be, which is why I want to start sharing in a bigger space, bringing in more storytellers and truth-tellers under one roof, so with the help and support of friends and strangers, I started a blog called Rooted & Rising.
Glennon Doyle Melton, one of my favorite authors, reminds us that our most personal experiences are also the most universal. These personal stories that I share are my peace offering: a reminder that we’re not alone in our struggles in dealing with the sometimes heartbreaking and overwhelming weight of what it means to be human. It’s messy, complicated, and achingly beautiful, but so many of us spend our lives thinking that we need to filter ourselves and shelter others from our pain, our scars, and our past in order to connect. This couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth: it’s our vulnerability that lies at the heart of innovation, creativity, change, and most importantly, connection.
It’s an honor to share this space with those that have lifted me up and inspired me to new heights of showing up and being seen. I'm reminded daily to own my heartbreak & speak my truth. I feel safe and reassured in doing so because I’ve received support and encouragement every time I fall, and every time I pick up the pieces to get back up again.
I've poured my heart into this space online and I'm really, truly excited to join a new community here on Steemit, to learn from you all, to connect, and to share stories, insights, lessons, resources, and most importantly, love and support.

So cheers to the messiness, the beauty, and the community. Cheers to making friends out of strangers from all over the world, to making dreams a reality, to lifting one another up in the process, to coming together to hold space for where we’ve been and where we want to go.
If there’s anything I can do to support you & your journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me below!
Together, regardless of what communities we are a part of, in some way or another, we're all Rooted & Rising.
Love & gratitude,
Aurora