The feeling comes when you decide to take a blind leap into the unknown. It comes when you finally ask the question you’ve been too afraid to hear the answer to, when you tell that special person that you like them, or when you decide to share something extremely personal to a good friend.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable means you’re ready to let go of what you’ve been hanging on to and keeping in for so long. It’s undoubtedly scary because that personal story or detail you’ve made sure only you knew is now in the hands of someone else. What’s arguably even scarier than deciding to be vulnerable is dealing with that stressful period of time when you’re anxiously anticipating a response. When the words have left your mouth or when the message has been sent, seconds feel like eternities when you want someone to reply. It feels as if you can actually feel your heart drop, because suddenly, you don’t have control over what happens next.
When you come to face the nerve-racking realities of vulnerability, you experience an inevitable struggle for worthiness. It’s only natural to look for gratification, reassurance, and clarity when you reach the point of deciding to be completely honest with how you feel. When you let your vulnerable side win, you step into this new and unfamiliar place where a deeper level of trust lives. You don’t just decide that you wholeheartedly trust the person you’re sharing everything with, but you also decide to trust the fact that things can and will change in the process.
In the times I decided to be vulnerable, I, of course, was scared out of my mind. I was afraid of any sort of negative response, whether that be facing rejection or just dealing with the fact that someone might not like what I decided to share. But, despite having to deal with the possibility of getting hurt and carrying shame on my shoulders, I never regretted allowing myself to be vulnerable. I never regretted taking a chance, because in every circumstance, the outcome always outweighed any previous ounce of fear or feeling of doubt I had beforehand.
When we can no longer hold on to what we’ve been hanging on to and keeping in for so long, there comes a time when we have to reach elsewhere for reassurance and understanding. Sometimes it isn’t easy to go out and ask for help, and a lot of the times, it isn’t easy to come to terms with trusting that everything will be okay in the end. But truth is, putting your heart on the line isn’t supposed to be easy, because things that are great and worth it never come from something being handed to you. It’s through our most vulnerable moments where we deal with the most change; it’s through our greatest struggles where we experience the most growth; it’s through facing any feelings of fear, rejection, or shame that the opportunities of love, acceptance, and connection are made possible.
I know it’s scary to take that blind leap into the unknown, but just know that there’s so much to gain from taking it. Let down the walls you’ve been building up for so long because greatness and growth live on the other side of them. Dare to be vulnerable because to be vulnerable is to be powerful.