When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability…To be alive is to be vulnerable.
-Madeleine L’Engle
Embracing vulnerability is one of the toughest challenges. Being vulnerable means accepting the unknown and uncontrollable. The protective walls of “perfection” are removed. And our authentic self is fully present. While one of the greatest challenges, embracing vulnerability is also one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
With all the pain and challenges in life, it would seem foolhardy to encourage vulnerability. However, there are benefits to allowing yourself to be open to the unknown and accepting your inability to handle every situation by yourself.
Take a moment to think of a time that you were vulnerable.
Perhaps it was the moment when you first told someone that you loved them? Or maybe it was the last time you experienced problems with your health? Chances are you were apprehensive (or just plain scared) about the outcome. Will the person you love feel the same about you? Will your illness be treatable? While these events leave you open to harm, they can turn out to be positive experiences. Consider the satisfaction of knowing that you are loved in return! Imagine your joy when you learn that you will recover!
If however your vulnerability leaves you wounded, there are still lessons to be learned. Emotional and physical pain can often be the impetus for positive personal change and improvement. In addition, you will likely find yourself surrounded by an unexpected and kindly support system that you may not have realized existed.
Being vulnerable requires trust and faith that, despite the outcome, you will be changed. Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness. Letting your guard down and opening yourself up to whatever comes is a testament of true strength.
Don’t deny your vulnerability – embrace it. It is proof that you are a caring, involved, and strong individual!
I am not a person who likes to be viewed as vulnerable – I usually prefer to be a portrait of strength, stability, and independence. My experiences, however, have taught me that there are times that it is necessary and beneficial to let down my defenses and allow myself to be loved by my support system.
-Jamie Saunders (Perseverance)
- Thought-Provoking Questions
- How do you embrace your vulnerability?
- What words do you associate with “vulnerable?”
- What lessons have you learned about vulnerability?
- Do you feel that crying is a sign of strength or weakness?
- Do you fear feeling vulnerable?
So often the only thing stopping us from achieving a goal? Ourselves. We tell ourselves that we can’t do something or that we are not good at something simply because we’re not used to doing it or because we have never tried it.
Senator Ted Kennedy has passed away after battling a horrific form of brain cancer. I heard the announcement just minutes ago as I was shutting down my computer to go to sleep, and I knew I had to write something. Yet I stared at the screen with that all too familiar feeling of horrific loss and uncertainty. My hands were trembling as I began to type. This is not just another headline, this is reality, and for the past 10 years (ages 14 to 24), I have faced the loss of young children and young adults after their own battles with cancer. Many of these individuals were very close to me.