Monday Musings #34

I plan to live out the rest of my life standing in the light of vulnerability and authenticity – and I will embrace anyone who courageously meets me there ~ Rachel Mary Stafford

I am afraid of being vulnerable. I mean, who isn't?

If there was any alternative to even the slightest possibility of being ridiculed or being at the centre of attention I'd gladly take it with both hands.

Revealing our fears is often a difficult thing to do and by doing so we expose ourselves to others potentially using them against us.

I used to have the hardest time opening up to people and my logic was that I didn't want to be hurt or disappointed. Whilst that may be true I realised that feelings inevitably surface and eventually people will know anyway.

Bottling pent up feelings never worked as I only felt misunderstood when it was because I wasn't letting others see those emotions I so desperately wanted to let go of.

Being vulnerable allows other people in : it is something we embrace as part of our character, a point of relating to others with an awareness of our exposure to potential hurts.

The last few years have taught me that, far from being signs of weakness, letting others into your anxieties are an opportunity for you to share your genuine thoughts, enabling you to get closer to those dear to you and to be true to yourself.

By doing this, we acknowledge our value and that we are worthy of someone else's love. It takes real courage to do this but it is worth it in the long run.

Learning to say my thoughts regardless of the outcome hasn't been easy but it's a continual journey of accepting who I am and looking to who I can be.