Where was I, oh yes, vulnerability – or that pit in your stomach when you think about making a risky move and exposing your inner self when you are uncertain of the outcome. For me, vulnerability is standing up for myself, asking for help, saying no, sharing an opinion, and taking a stance.

Source: Austin Primal Fitness and Nutrition

During my childhood, I picked up on the culture of right and wrong, strong and weak, winning and losing, being a leader or follower, and more importantly that being wrong and weak, losing, and being a follower are bad. Mistakes are bad, and that being bad made me bad. I grew to understand that I should do everything I can to avoid being bad or being perceived as bad. Which means I became risk averse, disconnected, unsympathetic, and unimaginative.

In adulthood, after a few years of struggle, I found vulnerability and realized that there may not be such a clear distinction between right and wrong, strong and weak, winning and losing, and good and bad. I also discovered some truths: vulnerability is not weakness, it happens whether you like it or not so you might as well embrace it, it requires trust and support, and it is the key to the life I want to live.

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity.” – Brene Brown, Daring Greatly. 

So I am working on being authentic, being open to mistakes (because I am going to make them. I already have), and being truly empathetic. If I am going to be an agent of real change, if I am going to be innovative, if I am going to be a force for growth, I need to embrace vulnerability.

Since I feel that I am not alone in this struggle, in the spirit of vulnerability, I am committed to sharing these insights.

And the journey continues one month at a time…