We have often heard about people being vulnerable to others and to situations. We understand “vulnerable” as being susceptible to being hurt or at the receiving end.
Over the decades, we accepted men to be dominant and they played a major role in financing the family. Hence, women were to bow down and had to accept rules and conditions even though she didn’t want to. Well, certainly women have now become more educated, independent and have proved to progress in every field, name it. So as we hear the term “being vulnerable”, most of us would consider it to be “weakness”. Could “vulnerability” be a powerful weapon too?
How about one being vulnerable emotionally? Vulnerability can also be expressed as a subtle power. There are people who are straightforward and so frank that they would speak exactly what they felt, apologised for their mistakes and speak out their feelings even if they would be disliked or rejected by others. There are some who would not express their emotions, lie if they had to and blame others to hide their mistakes.
We need to be “open”to “being vulnerable” The mind has to be trained for it. For if you are not vulnerable, you will not learn. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable once a while will help you to know yourself better. What is the outcome of being vulnerable depends from person to person. Would It be shame, guilt, embarrassment, fear, anxiety, joy, secrecy, silence…?
Why are most of us paralysed to say what we feel? Why can’t we express our feelings? If you love someone, fear something, want a change or dislike behaviour, just say it. Why are we always thinking of what others will think? People can live in shame and guilt and anger all their lives. They make themselves miserable. They go through a trauma.
We have to learn to accept criticisms and rejections because not everyone you come across will like you. Some will leave you behind. Some might leave you because they care for you and don’t want you to get hurt. Some might hate you and some would envy you. Some people stay with you forever.
“Being vulnerable is not about showing one’s good and rosy side at all times. It is not about pleasing everyone. It is mostly about showing your hidden side. Something that you hide or deny about yourself. Something that you would lie secretly. Can being vulnerable be a choice? In that case, You’d have to either love or hate everything. The power of feeling rejected, dumped, disliked can be enormous. It could change your life forever. If you don’t show your shiny side at all times, the fear of losing people or rejection is evident. It’s not easy at all.”
When you decide to be vulnerable,
1. You ought to love yourself even more.
2. You are open to be who you are and remain authentic than people who fake it to show it up.
3. You learn through criticisms.
4. You connect to yourself.