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Have you ever opened up to someone only to have your trust broken? When you’ve experienced being hurt by someone you trusted, it can be difficult to allow yourself to be vulnerable again. To protect ourselves from being hurt, we may end up putting up a wall to guide our hearts.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” -Brene Brown

You can’t predict the outcome or control other people’s actions. There’s always going to be a risk of things not working out when you allow yourself to be vulnerable. When you let go of your protective wall, you could find yourself nurturing a deep emotional connection with others.

Confession time! I have a difficult time trusting others. When I get close to people, my initial reaction is to guard parts of myself. Recently I decided to open myself up to someone about how I was feeling and what was bothering me. It felt like a release to speak without a filter and share my truth. Shortly after our conversation, I regretted how vulnerable I was on the phone. It triggered my trust issues. I immediately questioned whether they’d tell others about what I disclosed or use it against me. After doing some reflecting for a couple of days, I realised that I can’t control other people’s actions. As long as I showed up as my authentic self and opened myself up to potentially making a connection, that’s all that matters.

Benefits of Vulnerability

Allows you to be your authentic self- Allowing yourself to be vulnerable isn’t all about the potential connection you can make. Vulnerability allows you to show up as your authentic self. It’s an opportunity to honour who you are and your story.

Demonstrates courage- Being vulnerable is a sign of courage because despite not knowing the outcome, you decided to leap of faith.

You can learn about yourself- Vulnerability teaches us lessons about ourselves. When it doesn’t work out, you can learn from your experiences. It may teach you a greater lesson about yourself or that person, which will ultimately help you to navigate our future challenges.

So in conclusion, be vulnerable. Express the fullness of who you are. You may get hurt by the wrong people but it won’t be the end of the world. You will find people who will respect you.

Question to you:

1. What are your thoughts on vulnerability?
2. Why do you think it’s important to be vulnerable?

Let me know your thoughts!

Love, Ash x