What does it mean to be vulnerable?  Like, to TRULY be vulnerable?  Don’t look up the definition because that isn’t what I mean.  A few weeks ago, I was told to make myself completely vulnerable in my search for success.  I really didn’t get what it meant but the word has not escaped my thoughts ever since I heard it put that way.  I have looked up the definition.  It didn’t make sense to me, still.  I use the word when I give advice to others.  Still, not really understanding what it really means and how it is a good thing!

Growing up, I always tried to NOT make myself vulnerable because I was told it’s how you get hurt.  Suppress certain feelings and certain personality traits because you don’t want to be too vulnerable and have someone stomp on you.  So that’s what I’ve always done.  Have I been hurt, even while doing that?  YES!  I have been hurt by others and I have hurt myself.  All the while, suppressing certain emotions, while still getting hurt.  So what was the point?

Vulnerability can be and is a good thing.  To me, being vulnerable means being 100% true to yourself no matter what is happening around you.  It means not conforming to what someone wants you to be.  It means not holding back when you have something to say.  It means giving yourself permission to feel exactly how you feel and not be ashamed of it!  The trick to not allowing your vulnerability to open doors of hurt is, LOVE yourself!  When you truly, honestly love yourself, you don’t care much at all about other’s opinion of you.  That, in turn, permits you to be completely vulnerable, and not get hurt!

Things won’t always go your way.  There will always be obstacles and you will most likely always be able to over analyze an experience to the point that you can convince yourself, or someone else could convince you, that had you not been so vulnerable, the outcome may have been different.  Don’t over analyze.  Take the situation for what it is, what it was, find out what you can learn from it, and move on!  Don’t stop being true to yourself.  Don’t stop being vulnerable! The only one truly affected by whether or not you allow yourself to be vulnerable, is YOU!  However, if you DO hold back, you are most likely missing an opportunity to inspire or help someone that you cross paths with!  Most of us get great joy out of helping someone.  So why hold back to please a thousand people who truly won’t contribute to your happiness, when you can be real and help a few people, who DO contribute to your happiness, in a very positive, permanent way!?!?

A very smart person recently told me, “don’t try proving something to someone who isn’t even paying attention!”. That spoke so loudly to me because I did this EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!  I think most of us do!  What’s it all for?  At the end of the day, you are the only one in control of your happy!  So YOU BE YOU!  Be vulnerable-be TRUE!

Bye for now,

RR