Vulnerability Is Awesome; It’s The Foundation Of Strength And Courage
It’s the bravery needed to change and grow where you’re planted
To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.”- Criss Jami.
Being vulnerable is the most powerful tool for building and strengthening courage.
It doesn’t mean we should give in to weaknesses and let our weaknesses rule us, and it means being brave enough to express our vulnerabilities and being strong enough to accept the help needed to grow.
Vulnerability is scary and can be hurtful. But there’s no way to thrive without being vulnerable from time to time. The way we respond to our vulnerabilities is often a better indicator of how we’re doing in life than the performance of our strengths, which can mask our weaknesses.
We’re better when we’re open and honest with ourselves than when we try to hide our weak moments. But being vulnerable takes courage, and we often learn a lot about our strengths by recognizing and owning our weaknesses.
Lately, I’ve been feeling exceptionally vulnerable. It started with a comment from an acquaintance, then another from someone I consider a sounding board. It didn’t take long; I realized these two people had very different definitions of strength and weakness. To them, being vulnerable meant that I was showing a willingness to be hurt and offended. In their eyes, that made me weak.
But to me, being vulnerable meant being honest and showing my true self. It’s the ability to be open and honest with yourself, and it’s brave enough to express your vulnerabilities and be strong enough to accept the help needed to grow.
The way we respond to our vulnerabilities is often a better indicator of how we’re doing in life than the performance of our strengths, which can mask our weaknesses.
Vulnerability Is The Foundation To Build
- Self-esteem. When you’re brave enough to be yourself, you’re also brave enough to be accepted as you are.
- Confidence. Being vulnerable shows that you’re capable of being honest with yourself and that you can be accepting of yourself even when you don’t feel like it.
- Resilience. When you’re brave, you’re not only able to deal with challenging situations, but you’re also able to turn those situations into growth opportunities and personal development.
- Character. A scoreboard does not measure it but a heart-to-heart. The kind of strength not learned in books but from those who will be there for you when you need them the most. The type of strength that’s not something you know from a video, but from living life entirely and the experiences that bring you closer to your true self.
- Insight into yourself and others. The ability to see yourself in a different light and see others in a different light. We all have flaws, and vulnerability helps us identify them and acknowledge them, but it also helps us learn from them and build from them. That’s why being vulnerable builds courage — it gives you a different perspective on life.
- Strengthens your relationships. The most important thing than anything in life is your relationships. If you’re not willing to be vulnerable and share yourself with others, you’re not going to have good relationships. But when you’re brave and share yourself with others, you build stronger relationships. You’re not only able to communicate better, but you’re also able to connect more deeply. It’s a win-win.
- Self-awareness. Being vulnerable helps you become more self-aware. The ability to show your true self to others forces you to become more self-aware. You become more observant of your actions and their consequences. You become more aware of your words and how they affect others. You become more self-aware, which helps you become a better version of yourself.
- Compassion for others. When you’re more self-aware, you’re able to see other people not just as individuals but as beings with needs and desires too. That kind of compassion is what builds true courage. It’s the courage to help others even when it puts you in danger. It’s the courage to be yourself in the face of opposition. It’s the courage to be vulnerable and open and honest with yourself, and it’s the courage to accept the help needed to grow. That’s real courage, and that’s the kind of courage that rocks.
- Openness to change. You don’t change people; you change yourself. You’re more willing to change and grow when you’re more vulnerable. Change is a constant in life. You can’t be brave without changing the things you’re bold about, and the same goes for your character. Open yourself up to change, and you change your life. That’s courage. It’s an attitude of openness. It’s a willingness to change. It’s the courage to be vulnerable and the courage to accept the help needed to grow. That’s real courage. That’s the kind of courage that builds character.
When my shortcoming was pointed out by the two people last week, my first reaction was to feel ashamed. The shame of being unable to be vulnerable and having so many people know about my weaknesses.
After a moment, I realized that those people were not judging, criticizing, or making fun of me; they were acknowledging a weakness. And by doing so, they were being kind. Because being vulnerable isn’t about being exposed.
Being vulnerable is about being brave enough to show your true self to others, even when it’s hard. It’s about being brave enough to change and grow, even when it’s difficult, and that’s real courage.
