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Why in the world would we want to be vulnerable??

Plunging into the talks of Brene Brown is like standing on the edge of a cliff. It is what happens in our groups at Pando. People risk shame, fear and major discomfort in stepping up and telling other people who they really are. It can be petrifying. It can create turmoil inside. BUT it is liberating, healing and life-changing. The reason that walking into the face of vulnerability is so powerful is that it actually takes away the fear and the shame. It is their antidotes...their kryptonite. Once we go into the darkness, we realize we can do it again. And once we do it again and again, we can finally be ourselves. Our real selves; not who we want to be or wish we could be but our authentic, true selves. And why do we want to be our true selves? Because, then the war is over. We don't have to protect ourselves; we don't have to defend ourselves and we are free at last to be us. We can find peace in any moment and we don't have to hide any part of ourselves.

The following is another brilliant TED talk by Brene Brown going even farther than she went before in leading people out of their hidden worlds:




This is health. This is healing. This is the core of wellness. The great myth of our time is that vulnerability is weakness. The great truth of our time is that vulnerability is our strength and our power.

Comments

Our vocabulary creates our reality.

I suggest that the word itself (vulnerable) is part of the problem. Its very meaning describes a state of being weak. Being stuck in weakness.

What would be more empowering is a word/phrase that describes the desired Action, such as Release, Unburden, Let Go, etc.

If you were to ask people which they would prefer, to be Vulnerable, or to be Unburdened, I would wager that the majority, by far, would choose the latter.

(my limited vocabulary is being challenged here, but I hope you get the idea.)
Mark Kalina, MD said…
Dear Michael--

This is great feedback and really the crux of the issue. It is the association of the word vulnerability with weakness that detracts people from pursuing it. In my mind, the opposite is true. Vulnerability is strength. I will work hard on clarifying this in upcoming blogs. Thank you for pushing me to get to the truth.rf

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