A Short Write on Vulnerability

I want to tap into a very interesting topic that I have had a lot of previous experience and learning moments with. That topic stems from the idea of vulnerability. Vulnerability can be broken down in so many different ways and affect our spiritual lives, physical lives, emotional, mental, and truly every aspect of our lives! But when I really began to understand how vulnerability can affect my mental health in both good and bad ways, it was when I learned how to use it beneficially. I believe vulnerability is key to personal growth and it is something that I have used to my advantage my whole life. I seek it through confidence and not being afraid to put myself into the world in hopes of new opportunities and understandings of who I am as a person. BUT being vulnerable, especially through uncertainty, can be dangerous and let me tell you how it flooded my brain with distractions through times of uncertainty…

When I graduated and had no idea where I wanted to start my life in the “real world,” I would jump to share with people ideas of paths I might take. Now, this is uncertainty. I was not sure exactly what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS. Frankly, I would have told you at the time I do not care what anyone thinks about my uncertainty and wild ideas. There was one concern with just telling everyone what they thought was nothing in their opinion. It was that those who do not have a love or care for you in their life will not understand or try to understand your uncertainty. Vulnerability can be an amazing thing but we have to be careful about who we share our vulnerability with because some people will use your vulnerability and uncertainty to tear you down. I used to not be afraid to be vulnerable about my future to anyone, and when I saw the way my family would react to my uncertainty about my future compared to others who did not have total respect for me, I began to keep my mouth shut. Some people are big believers in not sharing about it until you have achieved it, but to me, this just seems wrong. I believe you must be vocal with trusted ones about ideas, plans, or beliefs you may be wondering about. It is so important to share about our lives AS LONG AS IT IS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. Vocalizing about our lives benefits us to better understand ourselves in general, and I just think there should not be a push to hold everything on our minds in our minds. I can speak on this from personal experience. Once I started to share strictly with the ones I love and feel comfortable with, I did not feel like I was sharing to impress or explain myself anymore and this is CRUCIAL. Sharing with those we know who do not support us is us consciously trying to prove ourselves. You do not owe them ANYTHING. You do not need to explain to them who you are. Instead, share with loved ones who will benefit you. The power of voice, sharing, and vulnerability is stronger than you may think because we often do not see the strength in it until we fall into a sad or depressive state over the thing or topic we may be sharing about. We must all learn to LOVE our lives and our futures, so when you love something, you PROTECT it. Always protect yourself physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally. We must protect every aspect of our lives! Give your life worth and strength and be aware of who you share your precious life with.