Many of us may equate vulnerability with negative emotions such as fear and shame or showing the weakest side of ourselves. This negative connotation of the word is perhaps holding us back from our greatest catalyst to healing.
Dr. Brene Brown defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure, but it is also the core, the heart and center of meaningful human experiences”.
There is power in being vulnerable. When we carry around the feelings of shame, regret, fear, anger, etc. we are not allowing ourselves to face those emotions and truly heal. When we are vulnerable, we are open to so many beautiful opportunities for healing, growth and happiness.
I think that the reason that many people do not want to be vulnerable is because it is scary. It can be truly terrifying to be open and face some of the ugliest parts of ourselves. It can be challenging to open up about our fears, insecurities and raw emotions, but that is the exact point where we can change the negative into positive.
Personally, my deepest friendships and most beautiful moments in life were born out of vulnerability. When we can push past the surface and actually speak about our most vulnerable moments including our fears, traumas, likes, dislikes and insecurities, that is where trust, love and friendship are born. Many people would agree that dating and building true friendship is not easy in this day and age, and I believe that is because people are unwilling to be vulnerable with each other. We go out there, get hurt and then many of us are unwilling to risk having another painful experience, that we would rather put our guard up and experience life detached from emotion. With vulnerability comes communication, trust and even love. When we can be honest with ourselves and acknowledge the areas where we may be struggling or need to work on, then we can slowly let others in and they may even help us in the process of growing. One misconception is that growth needs to happen alone. It doesn’t. The people who are placed in your life are there for a reason. Lasting friendships and relationships are those that endure growth together.
Lately I have been examining myself and my relationships in an effort to be more vulnerable. I was able to understand that there are certainly some areas that I need to work on, specifically in regard to trust. As I was speaking with a close friend one day, she pointed out to me that I didn’t trust myself enough when it came to relationships due to past experiences. With that knowledge I am slowly working on the aspect of trust and LET ME TELL YOU, it is scary. But I also know that on the other side of the scary stuff is the beautiful stuff.
If you are interested in learning more about vulnerability, I would encourage you to read Dr. Brene Brown’s book, “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way we Live, Love, Parent and Lead."
Affirmation: I choose to live with an open and vulnerable heart, inviting the greatest people, blessings and opportunities into my life.