To Be Vulnerable
To see the sun and feel its burn
To touch the snow and feel its cold
To know what it means to be alone
To be vulnerable
To be hurt
For it is not the pain that kills us
But the fear of it
Vulnerability is something that for the longest I have misunderstood. I am guilty of mistaking it for weakness, softness, and something that’s a throwaway like the last season of Game of Thrones. But life is a persistent teacher who at times if you paying attention pulls back the curtain revealing that extra meaning to what was once relegated. Do I truly know what it means to be vulnerable? Not really but I now have an understanding of it that makes it important in our lives.
In our fear of being vulnerable, we have gone on a crusade to protect ourselves. Built walls so tall the Tower of Babel is a footstool in comparison, moats deep and wide enough to rare sharks in, we are impenetrable. We would like to think. But we forget those with the toughest outsides usually have the softest insides. And like a bug or turtle once the outer shell is broken by the unexpected we are dinner for the things we dread. We are left in pieces like Humpty Dumpty. We are brittle and It’s an arduous task to put ourselves together. Our safety becomes our enemy.
So what happens when we are vulnerable? When we draw down our bridges and leave the castle? we get hurt. Sometimes. Of course, it’s going to happen, I won’t sugar coat it and wrap it up in Disney magic. However, we learn quickly that it’s not the end. We taste the death we feared and find ourselves still alive, breathing. And if we keep at it and do not run back our soft tissues turn into elastic muscle. We bend but do not break because we have built resistance. Being vulnerable allows us to build strength and familiarity with pain/discomfort. We grow to learn how strong we truly are.
Moments of vulnerability that come to mind for most people are those when they share deep and personal feelings with others. But I would like to think that we are vulnerable or in vulnerable positions when we apply for a job, start a business or speak up for what we believe in. Because in those moments too we are be putting ourselves out there, in harm’s way.
If you made it this far you a legend. I clearly spent too much time on this one hope you liked it and please share and comment.
