My Vulnerability Is My Strength!
Society has largely viewed vulnerability as a weakness. You could argue this stems from a Darwinian methodology of nature's 'survival of the fittest'. In animal herds, to be weak can increase not only the individual's vulnerability, but also that of the entire herd.
In the animal kingdom, some mothers will leave a weak member of their litter to fend for itself and ultimately die. This is due to their own instinct for survival.
As mammals, humans also have this survival instinct, and through much conditioning, we have been taught to suppress emotions, toughen up and just get on with it. In doing so, we are now becoming a planet riddled with acute and chronic disease. We are predominantly stressed, unhappy and unfulfilled in our day to day lives.
We are constantly seeking for answers outside of ourselves, be that from our mentors, doctors or the latest craze, due to our inability to introspect, diagnose or our lack of established beliefs and values.
And amongst all of this chaos, we are frowned upon for crying, yelling or expressing ourselves, especially while in public but for some this even extends into their home life. So where are we supposed to turn? We know drugs and alcohol aren't the answer, most GPs will hand out scripts for antidepressants like they are lollies, but this just makes us numb and flatline, and the majority of counsellors are experiencing the same issues themselves, thus are unable to help with any long term solutions.
Whilst this sounds like a pretty bleak scenario, and in many ways it is, what about if we tried doing and being these things we have been genetically programmed and taught not to do? What if we actually expressed our truth in a situation when we were feeling unfairly treated or judged? What if we told our loved ones when we felt hurt by them, rather than punish them in manipulative ways e.g. Silent treatment, controlling them or withdrawing our energy?
What would the world look like if more of us cried at work when our boss yelled at us because we were sincerely hurting? Or if we explained to our parents that whilst we believe they did the best job they knew how, that in some areas while growing up, we actually needed more from them.
By sharing how we feel, not just the good, but also the bad and ugly, enables us to keep these emotions in motion. When we suppress and block the feelings we don't want to feel, they stagnate and become stuck in our physical beings, wrecking all havoc on our health and wellbeing.
No on is perfect and we all make mistakes. By showing your vulnerabilities, you may well begin to see how this can be your greatest strength. Others will be more aware of how you actually respond and can react accordingly. You may begin to feel more supported, more understood and more loved. You may receive more empathy and compassion for your circumstances and this may also encourage those around you to begin dropping their barriers and sharing more of their vulnerabilities also.
Imagine a world where we all felt equal, we all exercised our free choice and as a result more harmony existed. There was more love, compassion and understanding because we weren't judged when expressing ourselves openly and honestly. So next time someone asks "how are you?" Why not pause for a moment, tune into yourself and answer honestly, rather than the stock standard , auto-pilot response of "good thank you". What does "good" really mean anyway?!
