Vulnerability, the Key to Authenticity
As a community, we are discovering the importance of people embracing their true selves and being authentic. People do their best when they are acting in accordance with their true nature and feeling free to be themselves. Yet, authenticity takes being vulnerable and the willingness to let our whole selves be open and seen. However, there lies the problem. We have been conditioned to hide, repress, and push down our true selves in hopes it will not be seen.
These actions could be caused by trauma, shame, low self-esteem, or a combination of all of this. We have hidden ourselves so deep inside that we probably could not find ourselves in a crowd of six. Being ourselves could mean being ridiculed, shamed, hurt, and/or criticized. So, how do we become vulnerable and authentic with all this staring back at us? How do we change for the better when it seems like a massive overhaul of ourselves?
News Flash: change is not as hard as we think it is. Yes, the end result may be a massive change in the long run; but it starts with a commitment to take one step at a time. In the book, The Power of Vulnerability by author Brenee Brown; she talks about how small changes in our mindsets can help us embrace ourselves and make the change to start being vulnerable.
For example, being able to acknowledge and speak about things that were said and/or done to us by someone else. We have the right to say what is bothering us and explain how we feel about them. Letting things go and shining a light on the things we feel ashamed of can help take a burden off ourselves. Also demonstrating to ourselves that we are can trust people with the things that bother us. However, we must be careful as to who we share with. Not everyone has the right to know or even have the tools to handle some of our thoughts. It is important to find someone who can help to see us through our struggle. However, if we do not have a trusted person or if that person is not currently available: Why not tell our self? We can write about our situation and our feelings. That way we are not holding on to it until we see or find that person. We can relate what we are feeling with all the facts and emotions at that moment.
Vulnerability is a lifelong journey. We will most likely not reach the top of “I am totally Vulnerable” mountain, but that is where progression and growth come in. One vulnerable step at a time. Reading books, listening to podcasts, and asking for help are available to us if we realize we cannot handle it on our own.
Let’s take our time and enjoy the climb while being kind to ourselves and embrace the missteps, as this is a part of our journey. Climb freely and know that there are countless others who are climbing with us as we move forward to find our true selves.
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