I share a lot when I write and teach.
Chances are, my vulnerability often makes you pretty uncomfortable.
And yet, in that discomfort, you probably find yourself leaning in.
Because when I let you see me, connection grows.
That connection maybe even makes you want to share your story with me.
And trust builds.
Which leads to more connection.
And now we are walking through this life together.
Or maybe you don’t find yourself leaning into that discomfort, and you feel that my vulnerability is too much or inappropriate.
And I wonder when and how you learned that vulnerability isn’t okay?
Being vulnerable and sharing a lot doesn’t mean sharing everything. Vulnerability ALWAYS has boundaries. The most intimate details of my life are reserved for very few people.
After many years of living fully and vulnerably, I’ve learned many lessons. The biggest is that I will no longer dull myself to make you more comfortable. Most especially because I have seen the power of daring to show myself fully. It is the power that creates the space for you to dare to show yourself to me. No matter how alike or different we are in that space, we are in it together with our common humanity and connection. Where we remember we aren’t so damn alone and that perhaps we can live as loved as we truly are. All because we dared to lean in, choose vulnerability, and show ourselves to one another.
Photo credit: Sarah Carmody