fbpx
Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
  • Fiction
    • Short Stories & Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Travel
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
  • Fiction
    • Short Stories & Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Travel
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
No Result
View All Result
image from https://ideas.ted.com/how-showing-vulnerability-helps-build-a-stronger-team/

image from https://ideas.ted.com/how-showing-vulnerability-helps-build-a-stronger-team/

The Beauty Of Vulnerability

Laura Ayienga by Laura Ayienga
August 10, 2020
in Mental Wellness
Reading Time: 4 mins read
60 2
0
75
SHARES
414
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterWhatsApp

“I want to paint vulnerability on canvas and show it to children, and I want them to marvel at it and be washed in it because truly, in all my living, being sensitive is the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced.” ~Christopher Poindexter.

As someone who suffers from the fear of opening up, I am automatically imprisoned by invulnerability. In my opinion, people feel things differently, and for some of us, the simplest emotions cut deeper than a knife. With this in mind, I slowly and involuntarily built an emotional wall where people had to go through layers to get to my core, and many people gave up within no time. The problem is, these barriers really stop me from living my best life. There have been times when I want to sing out loud, dance embarrassingly, or even give a completely unpopular opinion, but the idea of people seeing that side of me clouds my judgment and shrinks my personality.

What I’ve come to learn recently, however, is that vulnerability is beautiful. We are not zombies. We are human, and to be human is to feel, and allow others to feel what we are feeling with us. That’s what makes being sensitive such a beautiful thing. It connects us in a special way to those around us. Such connections make life valuable and worthwhile.

The very definition of vulnerability is terrifying. A quick Cambridge dictionary search defines it as the ability to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked. This in itself sounds completely negative, because everyone wants to protect themselves from any possible negative experience. I choose to go with Professor Brene Brown’s idea, that vulnerability is the birthplace of connection and the path to the feeling of worthiness. Life in itself needs more vulnerable people because vulnerability is liberation from irrational fear.

You see, shame is the root cause of invulnerability. It’s so sad that so many people are scared of putting themselves out there because they just don’t think they’re good enough. Brene Brown, author of The Gift Of Imperfection says, “The one thing that keeps us away from connection, is the fear that we are not worthy of connection.” Lack of vulnerability has led to feelings of unworthiness. So is vulnerability really what it is put out to be? Isn’t it ironic that the very fear of being vulnerable makes us lose our self-worth? True courage is recognising that you are imperfect. What makes you vulnerable is what makes you beautiful.

In her Ted Talk titled Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable, Luvvie Ajayi describes her sky diving experience. She says, “We’re about to fall out of the plane, and I think to myself that I’ve done some stupid things in life, and this is one of them. Then we come falling down to earth, and I literally lose my breath. Again I think to myself that I’ve done something foolish on purpose. What is wrong with me? But then I look down at the beauty, and I know instantly that this is the best thing I could have done. This was an amazing decision. And I think about the times when I’m about to speak my truth. It feels like the moment when I’m at the edge of the plane, telling myself that I shouldn’t do it. But then I do it anyway. I realise comfort is overrated.”

The reality is that, whether we admit it or not, we will always be vulnerable. The key is in accepting these feelings and welcoming them into our minds. To sit comfortably with the knowledge that you are susceptible to emotional danger and still walk into the situation no matter the outcome, that’s true power. Without allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, we can’t experience the joy and rapture of life, we can’t be our authentic selves and we can’t be human, because to be human is to be imperfect.

The paradox of vulnerability is that we look for it in others, but hide from it in ourselves.  We don’t want it, but we need it. You see, people equate vulnerability with weakness, but as Rihanna puts it, it’s tougher to be vulnerable than to actually be tough. That’s what makes vulnerability so powerful.

“You cannot selectively numb emotions. When we numb bad feelings, we consequently numb joy, happiness, and gratitude. Then it becomes a dangerous cycle.”

So, here’s a challenge for anyone out there dealing with invulnerability. Break those emotional walls, they’re not doing you any good. Say I love you first, and send a that risky text telling them exactly how you feel. Don’t be scared of expressing your emotions, or speaking your mind. Put yourself out there regardless of the possibility of feeling ashamed, because vulnerability is a superpower.

Read more about How To Cope With Loneliness

Share30Tweet19SendShare5Pin7
Previous Post

Book Review: The Courage Map – 13 Principles For Living Boldly By Franziska Iseli

Next Post

The Beauty Of Boredom

Laura Ayienga

Laura Ayienga

I am a passionate 22 year-old writer. I consider myself a young free-spirited soul whose personality is a mixture of introversion and extroversion. I’m a strong believer in the law of attraction. Everything is a reflection.

Next Post
image from https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/young-african-american-curly-hair-woman-who-is-bored-fatigued-need-relax-day_7247743.htm

The Beauty Of Boredom

Please login to join discussion

Recommended

Meet Farmcrowdy From Nigeria – A Unique Business That Sells Investment Options In Agribusiness

March 13, 2018
347
Fruit infused water. Image from https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2013/08/sipping-pretty-fruit-herb-flavored-infused-water-recipes-allison-norton-august-2013/

7 Tricks For Keeping Yourself Hydrated Every Day

March 13, 2017
1k

Popular Stories

  • Pregnant black woman on hospital bed image from https://www.everydayhealth.com/congestive-heart-failure/guide/

    The Singlehood Series: How I Drove My Boyfriend’s Pregnant Girlfriend To Deliver Their Baby Without Knowing

    1804 shares
    Share 722 Tweet 451
  • The Cologne Scent I Breathed In At The Supermarket Reminded Me Of Love Lost And The Regrets I Had Over Leaving The Love Of My Life

    190 shares
    Share 76 Tweet 48
  • He Proposed That I Should Become His Mistress – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

    1049 shares
    Share 420 Tweet 262
  • He Dumped Her Because He Wasn’t Ready For A Long Term Commitment But Ended Up Proposing To Her Best Friend

    212 shares
    Share 85 Tweet 53
  • The Singlehood Series: She Asked Him For An Open Relationship But She Didn’t Expect The Turn Of Events

    489 shares
    Share 196 Tweet 122

Potentash Blog

Potentash

Potentash is an award-winning lifestyle blog. We publish lifestyle content that intersects with health, women, beauty, travel, business, relationships, finances and entertainment.

Categories

  • Ethics Statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2022. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

  • Login
No Result
View All Result
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
  • Fiction
    • Short Stories & Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Travel
  • Entertainment

Copyright © 2022. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In