Written by Edgar Luna

In this day and age being strong is something that most of us admire and try to emulate with everything we do. Working daily to grow stronger physically and mentally builds an impenetrable armor to be able to withstand great force or pressure and thus protect us from any type of harm to our person.

But as we grow “stronger”, naturally we start taking some of our feelings that we feel make us vulnerable and start storing them in our unconscious mind and constantly telling ourselves that those feelings can’t hurt you and that you need to get rid of them.

As human beings it is impossible not to have certain feelings that make us feel vulnerable and when that happens, most of us prefer to be “strong” and put those feelings away and try to convince ourselves and others that we will be OK.

When we make it a habit of not letting ourselves feel and express some type of vulnerable feeling, it is  more likely to come to a point in the future, that those feelings, all bottled up for some time, will come out like a dormant volcano  erupting with all its fury. 

Being vulnerable is a true act of courage and strength, that act of vulnerability, opens your true self to others and that thought is scary.

Why?

Because showing someone else that you are normal and that you are relatable and a normal human being is a very powerful thing and might help you relieve some of that

pressure that builds up within you.

I have been working on that part of me for some time and I first had to recognize that I have certain vulnerabilities and that I need to recognize when I am faced with a feeling that makes me feel vulnerable.

Vulnerability comes from the latin word “Vulnus” which means  “wound”.

So yes being vulnerable opens the possibility of some uncomfortable feelings.

But just imagine a physical wound that does not get treated and left to potentially get infected, it could become a big issue if not disinfected and treated.  And we all know how it hurts when a physical wound gets treated. That wound needs to be cleaned, disinfected and protected, and that might need to be done over some time for it to heal properly.

Same thing with your emotions that make you feel vulnerable, if you do not treat them, they might get infected and cause many emotional issues.

However, if you work on the strength to become more vulnerable and have the courage to let yourself feel and treat your emotional wounds, then you will see that you are on your way to being better.

You might be at that point where it is much easier to build an armor than to be real to yourself, but if you take little steps, you might be surprised at how much better you will feel in the long run.

So take a chance on being vulnerable and you might be pleasantly surprised on what you will experience.

E. Luna.