[Seek] Vulnerability
Someone recently commented to me, "Wow - you put it all out there!" in response to reading a few of my blog posts. They worried about how vulnerable I was making myself. I then asked if that was a bad thing.
Is vulnerability a bad thing?
I looked up the definition of vulnerable and came up with this from Merriam-Webster:
At first glance, being physically or emotionally wounded or being attacked or damaged does not sound good. However, those things are not a guarantee. The words "capable" and "open to" are key here. In and of itself, being vulnerable isn't bad, as long as you are open to the consequences. To me, being open to helping others through sharing my ups and downs of living with chronic pain, chronic illness, and mental illness; my faith journey; and experiences down the bumpy road of parenting outweigh the risks that someone might judge me or attack me in some way.
It was the third definition that struck me - liable to increased penalties but entitled to increased bonuses. I might risk something by being as open and vulnerable as I am, but the increased bonuses to my own mental health, to my relationships with others, and to my ability to encourage others is worth it.
It is through vulnerability that we connect with our neighbors, that we build relationships, that we grow in our understanding of others and of the world, that we love.
Is vulnerability a bad thing?
I looked up the definition of vulnerable and came up with this from Merriam-Webster:
At first glance, being physically or emotionally wounded or being attacked or damaged does not sound good. However, those things are not a guarantee. The words "capable" and "open to" are key here. In and of itself, being vulnerable isn't bad, as long as you are open to the consequences. To me, being open to helping others through sharing my ups and downs of living with chronic pain, chronic illness, and mental illness; my faith journey; and experiences down the bumpy road of parenting outweigh the risks that someone might judge me or attack me in some way.
It was the third definition that struck me - liable to increased penalties but entitled to increased bonuses. I might risk something by being as open and vulnerable as I am, but the increased bonuses to my own mental health, to my relationships with others, and to my ability to encourage others is worth it.
It is through vulnerability that we connect with our neighbors, that we build relationships, that we grow in our understanding of others and of the world, that we love.
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