The Power of Vulnerability

Looking up a definition of vulnerability, the first one noted is "susceptible to physical or emotional injury." Aren't we all, as human beings, susceptible to a blow to our physical and emotional well being? This is part of BEing a human. We can be strong and powerful in one moment, and fragile in the next. Other phrases that are used to describe vulnerability are "chink in one's armor," "live in a glass house," "out on a limb," "sitting duck," or "over a barrel." They certainly are not powerful images, are they? It is no wonder that we create stories that we are weak, helpless and victimized when we feel vulnerable. My personal experience with vulnerability has shown the spectrum from feeling weak and helpless to feeling powerful and in deep integrity. What I know is that the moment I burst into tears that I can't hold back, I am tapping into the deeper mystery that lives within and is raw and true. I may not have the words for it and understand what it all means in the moment, but I know I am hovering around something deeply meaningful. If I can pause and let the tears pass through, WITHOUT judgement, there can often be an insight for me. As soon as I start to criticize myself or feel helpless or victimized, then the emotions take over and the learning is often lost. I know I am in helpless victimized vulnerability when I hear this kind of self-talk: "Are you kidding me?" "Really! This has to be sooo difficult for me." And the ultimate Viola Victim self-talk is "Why me? What did I do to deserve this?" The other awareness about the helpless victim place is that it becomes more difficult to be grateful for what I have in my life. Sometimes, it just seems impossible to feel the gratitude. Well I imagine you can guess what the empowered vulnerability might look like; gratitude comes easy for all the amazing simple moments; I embrace the fragile nature of my life as part of life; and I feel the truth in how it connects me deeply with the rest of humanity. We are all on our hero's journey, and we all have moments of vulnerability. I love asking questions that make people stop and think in new ways. Sometimes people furrow their brow and wonder whether I am asking a trick question or know the right answer when I ask them to pause and consider something like the power of vulnerability. When you ponder questions that do not coincide with the normal ways you think, you expand your view and open up creative problem solving. Asking new kinds of questions get at new kinds of understandings. What does "The Power of Vulnerability" mean to you?