We all carry psychological armor to protect us from risks inherent in being vulnerable. As Brene Brown writes in Daring Greatly (2015), vulnerability is the center of difficult emotion, but it’s also “the birthplace of love, belonging joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity” (p.34).
Prompt: Write a letter to the vulnerability within you. What would you like it to know? What can you thank it for? What would you like to ask of it?
Vulnerability, I never wanted you to exist. I have always suppressed moments in my life when I felt vulnerable. I shielded you away because I did not want to appear weak. When I was a child I was vulnerable and learned that maybe in life I was supposed to feel this pain. That even though I didn’t ask for it, it was how life was supposed to be. For that pain, I thank you for making me stronger. For that struggle and grief, I have learned that life is not fair and that someone will always have it better. Physically, I learned to fight, I learn to physically be strong, and when I was in a vulnerable situation, I thought of many ways to escape.
Emotionally, I am weak and continue to be weak in this area. I hide in order to not feel the pain-but you continue to show up vulnerability, to remind me that I need to grow, to love again, and to make me realize I can move forward. I did learn as an adult, that I can change my conditions and that I need to be vulnerable. I have accepted you in my life, but I still try not to acknowledge that you exist. I will always play it cool, even though my heart and my mind are racing to escape.
However, I need your vulnerability, to give me the courage to take risks. To move forward to new possibilities. I am scared that I won’t make it, but you have been there to make sure that even in its darkest moments, there is a light, a lesson to learn, something beautiful and amazing that can come out of it. You will always need to be their vulnerability to remind me to not suppress myself and miss the chance of something wonderful. As much as the risk and pain can come from being vulnerable, you also give me possibilities and hope. Without vulnerability, I could not be real.