Do you know what it means to be vulnerable? I thought I did, but boy oh boy was my perception wrong. After having recently read Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, I have a new understanding of what it means to be vulnerable. Brené defines vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. Not at all what I thought.

Before, I thought of vulnerability as a weakness (and I’m sure many others do, too.) It was something we never really talked about in my family.  I didn’t want to admit that I ever felt vulnerable, because I didn’t want to seem weak. From Brené I learned that actually being vulnerable is to FEEL. It’s learning how to own our vulnerability and engage with the emotions that come along with it. Deep, but so true!

Being vulnerable allows for many great things to happen to us in life. It’s a gift. My greatest vulnerability awareness right now is trust. Trust is a product for vulnerability. You have to be vulnerable to feel in order to trust.

I had a life-altering conversation yesterday with a woman who’s only been in my life for about 3 months. By being vulnerable and trusting her, she held the space for me to be raw and open. In a conversation that lasted a mere 60 minutes, she helped me in a way that will change my life forever for the greater good. I’m grateful I was vulnerable with her because the outcome was so rewarding.

I invite you to be vulnerable. As Brené says “The courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead.”

With love and gratitude,