Vulnerability Is A Sign Of Strength

In war vulnerability shows a weakness. In life vulnerability shows that you’re human. Being authentic sounds like a good thing and it is but once you spend some time thinking about it it can also be frightening.

If you look vulnerable up in the dictionary it says

“capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon”

“open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.”

Well that sounds terrible, why would you want to vulnerable?

Because it shows you are real. If you’re around the right people they will support and love you flaws and all, if they don’t you have some housecleaning to do.

Vulnerability is about being honest with yourself. Looking deep into yourself and figuring out why you think like you or do the things you do can be scary. It makes you feel like you don’t have control over your life. That’s already enough to make you not want to be vulnerable but sharing that with other people?

You may rather stick a fork in your eye, as one of my girlfriends likes to say. Not letting other people in makes for a lonely life. Keeping things hidden away prevents you from having a truly joyous and close relationship.

Happiness is based on truth no matter how messy it may be. The person you are right now will not be the person you are a year from now or maybe even a day from now. Fear is an illusion when it come to happiness. Obstacles and hurdles and challenges will always be in your life. That’s how you change and grow. It shows who you are and what you’re made of.

Be honest with yourself and the people around you. The truth is you will be susceptible to being wounded, you will face criticism, that is unavoidable. It is however a good way to find out the true nature of the people around you and of yourself.

If you were literally going to drop dead from criticism or getting your feelings hurt then you would be better off avoiding putting yourself in those situations but you’re not. The only thing that may be dying is your spirit. The person you were truly meant to be.

The world needs people who are not afraid of showing their true selves warts and all. If you live your life in line with your core values anything you see as weakness is unimportant. They are just things that you need to either build into a strength or dismiss all together.

Not everything we think about ourselves serves us on our journey through life. As I write this I do realize how badly I need spell check and to work on my own challenges. Strength is about being who you are. It’s about being being authentic. It’s never about perfection. It’s never about someone else’s expectation of you.

In the end your greatest ally and your worst enemy is you. Choose a side.