This week, we are discussing:

Being vulnerable.

What it takes and the impact of it.

What do you think of when you hear the word vulnerable? For many people it may conjur up images of those unable to look after themselves such as babies, the aged, injured or ill members of our society. It is not something we generally want to think we are. But according to Brene Brown, our greatest gift to ourselves and to others is the ability to feel vulnerable and to lean into the discomfort.

Ultimately what we all want is to feel good enough. And we feel good enough when we feel connected to others. But this cannot happen unless we open ourselves up. So how do we open up and be vulnerable.

We live by the following principles.

courage - which means to tell the story of who we are with our whole heart.
compassion -- how can we demonstrate it with others when we have no compassion for ourselves.
connection - which means to live in an authentic way.

You get connection with others by letting go of who you should be to be who you truly are. A quote I saw last week said 'better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not.'

We can begin by letting go of shame. Shame is driven by the fear of disconnection from others. The idea that there is something wrong with me that if they found out they wouldn't want to be with me. This sense of shame can lead to feeling 'not good enough'.

Accept that you cannot selectively numb some emotions while embracing others. Being vulnerable means to feel fully alive. Accept that none of us are perfect. We give others permission to be authentic and to be vulnerable when we are.

Believe that you are enough. And that there are enough people in the world who love you just as you are.

To see the whole TED talk by Brene click here.

Be brave. be vulnerable, be you.

til next time

Sherry

Being vulnerable.

What it takes and the impact of it.

Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.