HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE VULNERABLE
Every day we wake up and put on our armor in order to go out into the world. The mentality is “you’re not going to hurt me… you’re not going to get at me…” or whatever. The truth is, the same shields we put in place to protect us, simultaneously cuts us off from what on a subconscious level we desire the most – human connection. It’s a bitter sweet irony.
I often wonder about how much I let other people’s thoughts about my life influence my decisions. I would ponder on how much I let the fear of rejection stop me from even trying certain things in my past. My daily focus as of late is to be as honest as I can be within the context of the situation I find myself at any given moment. Sometimes this gets tricky and at times even a little disarming. Afterwards though – if you pay close attention – you will notice that your honesty and vulnerability is the closest thing to really feeling authentically human as we can get! You will also notice that people will begin to respect you in a way that they did not before. People will begin to seek advice and counsel from you because they can sense that the response they receive is coming from a real place. A person can only reach that level of authenticity with another person by being vulnerable enough so that the other person feels comfortable enough to do the same. Mostly though, it requires the individual to be honest with him or herself.
I am not suggesting opening up to everyone you meet and attempting to have some deep dialogue. What I said above is so far as I can tell the safest methodology. Be as honest as you can be within the context of the moment. It takes a little guts but the benefit definitely outweighs the risk – most of the time. Then – pay close attention to the different directions the results push you in along your path.
Thanks for reading,
rEN
