Self Love|Superpower|Love|
Superpower-Vulnerable
Superpowers you didn’t know you had
SUPERPOWER: VULNERABLE
Merriam Webster’s dictionary definition: Capable of being physically or emotionally wounded. Open to attack or damage.
History of the word, Vulnerable (*Merriam Webster)
Superheroes are often depicted in comic books and movies as all powerful, deflecting boulders, missiles in mid-air with a flick of the wrist, walking through walls. We all know, however, that even the mightiest protagonist is vulnerable to something, be it kryptonite or forgetting the whereabouts of one’s hammer. Vulnerable comes from the Latin noun vulnus, meaning “wound,” by way of the late Latin adjective, vulnerabilis, which was adopted by English speakers as, vulnerable in early 1600's.
Society’s definition: Failure to literal wounding, vulnerable to criticism.
Personal Experiences:
We all want to grow up pleasing our parents, families, partners, and loved ones. Soon after completing my Ph.D., I was able to start applying for C-suite, leadership roles. However, all the psychological leadership and human resources tests and exams always called for a strong minded leader. So I failed the company’s tests, and psychological exams as I was a vulnerable risk.
Personal Thoughts:
Stigma in society has viewed vulnerability as a weakness, with negative perceptions of those who show any sign of being vulnerable. All these years of working in a corporate environment, or militaristic arena, have led to feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, and low self-esteem, impacting my mental health and well-being.
Society’s negative perception of vulnerability has affected the choices organizations’ make and can significantly influence how it is experienced by individuals, making it seem that we are a risk to an organization by being vulnerable, or susceptible to exploitation, manipulation, even to the extreme of bringing harm as others may exploit their openness.
As with me, I call vulnerability my superpower and here are my reasons why.
- Forge Deeper Connections
Being vulnerable has given me the ability to forge deeper connections with others and has allowed me to be authentic with others and open to listening. This superpower has saved organizations millions of dollars in litigation, lawsuits from employees. When an employee has forged a deep connection with you as a representative of a company, there will be no desire to search for other employment. You will have an employee for life.
2. It has given me courage and resilience.
When I realized that being vulnerable was my superpower, I embraced it, requiring courage to do so. This also enhanced my resilience as I allowed others to confront me openly with challenges and setbacks, understanding others that led me to my personal growth.
3. Brought innovation and creativity
Once I embraced being vulnerable, this fostered innovation and creativity for me as I started to be encouraged to take risks, think outside the box, and explore new ideas without fear or judgement.
In conclusion, recognizing the superpower of being vulnerable helped me realize that I could foster a more supportive and inclusive environment, where everyone around me feels safe to be open and be themselves without fear of being judged or harmed.
Just be YOU.
I hope you are enjoying the Superpower Series. I hope to bring you more superpowers you didn't know you had that society has deemed as weaknesses.
What is your superpower? I’d love to hear from you.
🚀 🚀 Dr. Wayne Stein, Manifestations ✅🍿Great that your superpower is LISTENING! Thank you for your support and feedback.
