Vulnerability
How many feelings have you held back?
I’m talking about the terrifyingly intense feeling of dismantling our emotional barriers and letting our true selves shine through.
Sure, the protective walls we construct around our emotions shield us from potential pain, offering a comforting familiarity. However, these walls don't leave much room for growth, do they?
For those unaccustomed to confidence, it can feel like an unwarranted arrogance. When accustomed to passivity, assertiveness may seem like an unwelcome aggression. These self-erected walls aren't the best benchmarks for our true selves.
Despite offering a false sense of security, these walls can turn suffocating. Ironically, when faced with someone who has these same walls built, we feel a sense of disconnection. The paradox arises: vulnerability is something we hide but seek in others.
Towards the end of last year, I stumbled upon numerous articles on Medium where authors revealed their chosen word for the year. This concept intrigued me, and I decided to participate, taking my time to select my word.
That being said, my chosen word for the year is "Vulnerability" — the state of being open to emotional or physical harm, revealing one's true feelings or self without defenses. Embracing vulnerability isn't a walk in the park, especially when life bombards you with reasons to remain guarded. It might seem naive to believe everyone is genuine in what they say or do, but I believe it's downright brave when someone opens up to someone they love or expresses their unpopular opinions.
Vulnerability isn't an invitation for mutual hedonism, and it certainly doesn't equate to weakness. I love being straightforward, sending reckless text messages — after all, how reckless can a digitized message be? I love telling people I love them and appreciating the magical existence of those around me. I strive to make my life as straightforward as possible, realizing that one day, I just might get hit by a bus. Not trying to be cynical, but that’s just life — we’re all going to die someday.
Many times, we're afraid to open up, fearing vulnerability will lead to rejection or hurt. And yes, those things might happen. But what if being vulnerable is the key to discovering the essence of our existence?
It might seem weird or scary, and showing you care could be perceived as impractical. However, nothing is riskier than pretending not to care.
For a world that values connection, we often avoid eye contact. We time our text responses to avoid appearing too eager or interested (I love this one), and stifle our emotions to seem composed.
Being vulnerable might be scary — allowing someone to glimpse into the depths of your soul, uncovering your carefully guarded emotions. Letting others see what’s beneath your outward mask of braveness. To be so completely into a person without caring if you fall. However, it's equally terrifying not to try; denying your heart a chance to beat for another.
I am willing to sound dumb.
I am willing to be wrong.
I am willing to admit that I am afraid.
I am willing to apologize.
I am perfectly willing to be imperfectly human.
Remember, it's okay to be emotional; to seek help; to confidently express your fondness for someone. Vulnerability is not a flaw; it's a source of beauty. Just because some people do not see it doesn't mean it's absent.
We are beautiful people, but we aren't always in control. We never anticipate the sudden jolt of electricity between us and that one person. We never know who needs our presence, our love, our hugs.
We never know when the bus is coming.
So let’s all stop being little fucks, pardon my French. Little, uptight, insecure bubbleheads, while we’re on the subject of profanities. Respect others enough to tell them the truth. If someone makes you happy, tell them. If you're not interested, please tell them. It's time to grow up and stop leaving people with unanswered texts and cryptic social media posts. I thought someone might want to hear this.
Let's tear down those emotional walls and embrace vulnerability like it's the latest fashion trend. Remember, life's too short to leave texts unanswered — unless you're trying to cross the road; that's a valid excuse!
