Vulnerable

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”

                              Brené Brown, Daring Greatly

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Vulnerability is hard

for it requires us to be permeable

no hard shells allowed

we have to let stuff in!

we have to let other people in!

Ouch!

That is risky, scary

And sometimes we get hurt

Sometimes we get used and abused

It happens!

We  also have to let stuff out

We empty out those dark corners

We reveal our flaws our weaknesses

When we are vulnerable we are seen for who we really are

Hallelujah for vulnerablity

For we let stuff in

Sure there’s the difficult stuff,

But there is also stuff like love, and hope, compassion

When people respond to the stuff we let out,

we are touched at the level of the heart

The soul

Vulnerable people are never stale!

And we let stuff out

Touched by the Sacred

Stirred by the Sacred

Touched by other people too

We respond with gifts we never knew we had

Love , compassion, generosity, understanding

And vulnerability is path down which they pass

To the people around us

Someone said to me recently

“you are hard to get to know”

Indeed

Because I was taught that vulnerability was bad

I was taught, by the American culture, that vulnerability was weakness

I believed it

I was wrong