In my 20’s and 30’s, I saw being vulnerable as a detriment. I saw friends and couples where one appeared really needy and weak and would praise myself for being easy and self sufficient in a relationship. The frustrating part was that I was the one that wasn’t having much luck in the lasting relationship department, but they were. What was their secret? Now what seems like many years and several serious relationships later I feel like I have come closer to figuring it out.
Being vulnerable is about asking for what you need when you need it. It’s about being authentic and showing up as who you are and not as the person that you think you need to be. It’s about taking a chance on you, knowing that somebody might say no, but also understanding that if that is the case they simply are not your people. I believe being vulnerable is the ticket to finding happiness that perhaps you didn’t believe existed.
I took a leap of faith on myself about 7 years ago, I left what I knew was secure; a good job, a state that I had lived in most my life; friends that I known for years and I did it because for the first time in my life I wanted to invest in my happiness.
For the greater part of my life I was focused on my career and prided myself on my ability to take care of myself. I focused on education, employment, financial advancement, I thought the family part would come into play without much effort, so I did everything I could to set myself up for success, so that I would have something to bring to the table (sort of speak) for when the time was right. Well I had a first iteration on that and it didn’t work out so well. I was playing a role that I thought was expected of me and needless to say I failed at it.
But I’ll have to be honest if I didn’t have that experience, I wouldn’t of had that fail as information on how to do things differently the next time. There was gained knowledge, I wasn’t vulnerable and it didn’t get me the results I wanted. So with that in mind, I took a leap of faith on a new relationship, a new location, and a new career endeavor and so far I can tell you that it has all been a win.
What if you took a chance on being vulnerable and had the same amazing results? What if you asked for help when you needed it? If you took time out for yourself to rest or simply have some peace and quiet, instead of rushing towards the next project or item on your to-do list. How would this bring you peace? I’d love to hear.
Living a Life of Purpose 