Musings

Vulnerability Is Strength            

                         

Almost seems paradoxical huh...to call vulnerability a strength. Vulnerability reeks of weakness, right. Or so we've been led to believe.

Vulnerability is so associated with fear, anxiety, shame and such .......that we are culturally tuned to looking at it as a weakness.

No one wants to talk about it.  Talking about it, means admitting to having it, and we don't want to. We want to pretend we're sorted, rational, strong....somewhere along the way forgetting that all that also embraces emotions, feelings and so to say, vulnerabilities. 

In order for connection we have to allow ourselves to be seen...really seen - Brene Brown

As children we use defenses to protect ourselves, handle our hurt....and as we grow the defenses seem to harden....become so much a part of us...we are groomed and conditioned. The walls are built.

As adults, can we use awareness...know that it's about accepting the all of us, and know that we have the strength to own and deal with all of us....vulnerabilities included.  

The basic axiom... how would I know joy if I don't know sorrow. A wall built to keep away fear, sadness whatever, will also keep away courage, joy..... Simple enough, right? Think of it as a scale....the extent or intensity to which you experience one is the extent or intensity to which you experience the other. 

Sure, exposing vulnerabilities can make you feel the fool...worst case..to say I love you when you don't know what can happen the other end, yes, can make you feel a fool. But would you rather live the experience or let fear make you bury it.

"We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions" - Brene Brown

How alive do you want to be. Do we need those defenses. When you block out feelings, you block out aliveness. 

Can we own all our feelings.....live more authentically. And that's where you'll likely also meet courage and strength.