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The Power of Vulnerability

We cannot talk about Personal Growth without talking about vulnerability, one cannot exist without the other. It takes a lot of courage and strength to open up and be honest about our feelings and needs.

How Vulnerability and Being Open Can Improve Your Life and Relationships

Vulnerability and Personal Growth are two sides of the same coin. We cannot talk about Personal Growth without talking about vulnerability, one cannot exist without the other. Therefore, we found of extreme importance to introduce this topic on our blog and give you the insights on the power of vulnerability.

What is vulnerability and what does it mean?

Vulnerability can be defined as the willingness to be open and honest about our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. For example, asking for help when we need, saying I Love you first, saying I am sorry, saying I was wrong. Even when it feels uncomfortable or scary. It’s also the act of showing our true selves, flaws, and all, to others. And while this all sounds very overwhelming and scary, it’s also essential, for building deep connections, with ourselves too.

Why you Want to Be More Vulnerable

There is an endless amount of reasons why one would want to embrace the power of vulnerability but there is only so much we can include in a blog post. However, we made note of the most important reasons why we believe it is so important to be vulnerable:

To have a better relationship with yourself by:

Breaking free from unhealthy patterns. To solve a problem, you need to first acknowledge that it is there. Personal growth helps you understand why you keep falling for the same things and how to work around it but not if you are first vulnerable enough to say, “This is not working for me”.
Heal from past traumas. Takes a lot of vulnerability to bring darker moments of our life into the light to deal and let go of them.
Unlock your full potential. To explore your full potential, you need to take risks, you need to leave your comfort zone, you need to try new things. All of those require vulnerability.
Feel connected with yourself. Do you know when you just feel empty? Not necessarily sad but just empty? Sometimes lost? Apathic and disinterested? That just might be because you are doing things that are not alignment with your needs, wants, and values which result in you feeling…well…empty. The way around it is by looking into yourself and acknowledging and staying true to your feelings, needs, wants, and values, and for that, you need to be vulnerable.
To overcome fear and shame Vulnerability can help you overcome feelings of fear, shame, and self-doubt. By embracing the power of vulnerability, you can confront these emotions head-on and work through them in a healthy and constructive way. This can lead to greater self-awareness and self-acceptance.
To improve your mental health. Being vulnerable can have a positive impact on your mental health. By expressing your emotions and sharing your experiences with others, you‘ll reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. Use the power of vulnerability to increase feelings of happiness, contentment, and fulfillment.

create a deeper and more meaningful relationship with others

For others to love you for who you truly are, you must be willing to show it. There is no greater feeling than being accepted and love by who we truly are. To be authentic takes vulnerability.
Connection! This is one of the most basic a fundamental need a human being has. If you are open to be vulnerable with others, others will also be more open to be vulnerable with you. Which will result in a much deeper connection.
Improve communication skills. Practicing vulnerability can improve your communication skills. By being open and honest with others, you can improve your ability to express your thoughts and feelings in a clear and constructive way. This will lead to better relationships.

build a career that gives you purpose and makes you happy

Increase creativity and innovation Vulnerability can increase your creativity and innovation. By being open to new experiences and ideas, you can expand your perspective and unlock your full potential. Vulnerability can also lead to greater collaboration and teamwork, which can lead to more innovative and effective solutions.
To build stronger professional relationships. Vulnerability can help you build stronger and more authentic professional relationships. By being open and honest with your colleagues, clients, or customers, you can create a more meaningful connection with them. This can lead to better collaboration, increased trust, and a more positive work environment.
To improve leadership skills Vulnerability can make you a better leader. By being open and honest with your team, you can create a culture of trust, collaboration, and innovation. This can improve team morale, increase productivity, and ultimately lead to greater success for your organization.
To learn from failure Vulnerability can help you learn from failure. By being open and honest about your mistakes and failures, you can gain valuable insights that can help you improve and grow. This can lead to greater resilience and adaptability, which are essential skills for success in any career.

Be healthier and live better …

And the list could go on and on and on.

Being Vulnerable Vs the Risk!

And now you’re probably saying, “oh those all sound very nice but what about the risks of being vulnerable?” Being vulnerable does come with risks. When we open up to others, we expose ourselves to the possibility of rejection, criticism, or hurt. Sometimes, vulnerability can backfire, especially when the other person is not reciprocating or responding with empathy. So, It’s understandable to be afraid of being vulnerable, especially when we’re sharing something personal or sensitive with others. However, it’s important to remember that vulnerability is a two-way street. When we are vulnerable, we allow others to be vulnerable as well. There are a lot more chances of being reciprocated than not. And even in the case of being faced with rejection or lack of empathy by others, this will also give us the opportunity to re-think our relationship with that person. Is it worth living an inauthentic in a poll of that other person’s feelings? This leads us to the next point.

Can Vulnerability be a Strength?

Yes, vulnerability IS a strength. It takes a lot of courage and strength to open up and be honest about our feelings and needs. Our society often has it twisted. Let’s think of an example, for sure at some point in life you found yourself in a situation in which you needed help but wouldn’t want to ask not to appear weak. Pretending that everything is fine and under control is a lot easier than saying “I don’t know what I am doing, I think I need help” right? So why would asking for help be a weakness if it takes a lot more courage? It’s not! It takes a lot of bravery to share our true selves with others.

It is important to remember though that, Vulnerability Without Boundaries is Not True Vulnerability.

When we share our vulnerabilities with others, we are entrusting them with our innermost thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It’s important to choose people who have earned our trust and who will treat us with kindness, respect, and empathy. We also need to be mindful of what we share and when we share it. Being vulnerable doesn’t mean sharing everything with everyone all the time. It means being intentional and thoughtful about what we share and who we share it with.

Our story with the power of vulnerability – Without it, Self-Love Harbour wouldn’t exist.

I and Christian met in a professional context, he was my boss in a new job I had just started. The connection was obvious from the beginning but we both tried to play it cool and stay professional. We could have chosen to continue that way and never take the risk to tell the other what we are feeling, and we would have never got together, and self-love would not exist. On the contrary, we took the courage and the risk to admit to one another how we are feeling and so we are today. #noregrets

We hope this is enough motivation and inspiration to help you be more vulnerable as well. Before you leave, here are some tips we find helpful.

Tips to Practice Being More Vulnerable:

Start small by sharing something personal with a trusted friend or family member and observe the positive outcomes of having done so.
Try to say No to something you normally feel that you have to say Yes to.
Be mindful of your feelings and emotions and try to express them in a healthy and constructive way.
Take action to change what is not working for you in life despite others’ opinions. If you need help figuring this out you can download this free exercise we have created: From stuck to Unstoppable.
Be kind to yourself.
Be mindful that this is about you expressing yourself and not about other people’s reactions. If they react poorly to you being vulnerable, consider if this relationship is one you want to keep.

Another way of experiencing the power of vulnerability is through fun games that allow you to create deep and meaningful conversations. A game in which all are welcome to be vulnerable and therefore feels less daunting. One example is the game Dare to be Curious available in our shop.

On the other hand, If you’d like to learn more about the topic before jumping into practice, we can very much recommend the book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown.

In conclusion, by embracing the power vulnerability, you can improve your life and relationships in countless ways. It’s an essential ingredient for personal growth and emotional well-being. So why not take a step outside your comfort zone and start practicing vulnerability today? You never know where it might take you.