Vulnerability

Has anyone else been noticing something is shifting, or is it just me? Something intangible and almost impossible to put ones finger on so to speak, but nonetheless something is different. 

Interactions with people have changed, be it strangers on the street, colleagues at work or people in our most sacred of social circles, “we” as a collective have become… different… over the past few years, no? 

We could attribute this shift to a post-pandemic world where thankfully we have slowly gotten out of that wild foggy unknown we’ve all existed in for the past couple of years (although the full scale of our shared trauma due to our recent history has a long way to go before we will be able to measure the vast scope of what we’ve all experienced). 

Along this line, perhaps we could attribute this “change” or “shift” in the proverbial air to a collective epiphany where the veil has finally been lifted and we see more clearly just how precious certain things are and more importantly perhaps we are seeing in the rawest of forms, just how vital other things may be to let go of that we might have been overlooking for so long. 

Dare I say, we as a society might be opening up the chapter of our collective book where we allow ourselves to indulge in vulnerability by acknowledging this change…That we ourselves are also allowed to be vulnerable in how we come at life. At what point did we acclimate to the world around us so much that our vulnerability becomes something we allow only a select few to see? When did vulnerabilities equate to being weak as opposed to an emotional muscle that can offer us immediate strength in knowing what we stand for? When did vulnerability become more of a risk than reward? 

I for one have felt this aforementioned “shift” strongly and with every day that passes, I am becoming more aware of the importance of vulnerability. Being vulnerable enough to shed a few layers of old habitual behavioral systems in myself has led to some incredibly profound light bulb moments. Light bulb moments that took me from soft focus and dim illumination turned to mega wattage only after I allowed myself to sit within the big picture of vulnerability which gave me the space to be unguarded; this is where I could finally separate myself from the “noise” around me. Being vulnerably unguarded, I gifted myself the grace to take stock of everything that upset me, burned me out or frankly, scared the daylights out of me. Conversely, being unguarded highlighted all the things that lifted me up and sparked joy (its was a practice in making sincere vows of commitment to myself…for better or for worse). Once the flood lights of vulnerability had been turned on, even the smallest change in perception delivered huge results. 

The process is not always pretty, but it is a privilege. Vulnerability offers the privilege to take off a mask. It is a privilege to admit that vulnerability has made me stronger in my direction in life, vulnerability has garnered a sense of peace as I learn how to release as well as bring  connection into my life and vulnerability has made my intentions and boundaries more clear and transparent than even the most crystal blue alpine lake.

A friend once told me “working at a loud and showy holiday resort is a lot of fun, until you’re sweeping the glass and glitter off the dance floor the next day, you realize there is a LOT happening and stifled behind the scenes that goes into putting on a performance”… (there is vulnerability in this statement alone; seeing things for what they are is a profoundly unguarded realization). 

Could it be that so many of us have been putting on a performance for so long that what we are feeling now is an invitation for authenticity? Is this the shift we’re feeling? 

Could it be we are collectively sensing the need to be more vulnerable with ourselves and each other? Putting on a tough exterior or “show” is never sustainable. 

Could it be we’ve all been carrying the weight of so much (especially over the past three years), most of which may not even be our own, to the point of total exhaustion? Would vulnerability give us permission to breathe a sigh of relief as we put down the burdens and battles that might not be ours to carry or fight? 

Could this daily process be likened to wearing a mask because, like my friend, so wisely shared… “there is a lot happening behind the scenes that goes into putting on a performance”? 

What are the risks and rewards associated with vulnerability, and if we all knew how to incorporate a healthy dose of vulnerability, where would we as a collective be? Where would you implement a more vulnerable side of yourself if you knew without hesitation it would be a change for the better, that your vulnerability would be received and seen in a positive light? 

Do you feel that change is in the air? In what ways? How are you navigating this lightning fast world we’re in, be it at home, work, play? 

Are things still funky in the world? Yes, yes they are… Can one person change it all? No, no we can’t… but can we do our part to at least show up in the most sincere way possible and let a few barriers down? Absolutely.. and that is what I am trying to do. 

Would love to hear you share your thoughts!!