No one comes through this life unscathed. We’ve all been hurt, disappointed, angry, and stunned into a grieving, dark place within ourselves.
Some take up residence in that self-righteous indignation you can feel when someone makes choices that effect you badly. Or even if you’ve made those choices that have put you in an uncomfortable situation. Some leave a corner of themselves in that dark place to never be hurt in that same way again.
So essentially, then, we’re really talking about vulnerability in the sense of staying open when the seas get rough.
I mean, let’s get all the way real. All this stuff we talk about, it’s all fine and well when you’re under the illusion of control. You’re living in your day to day, practicing your various practices, and generally nothing big is happening. Maybe annoying encounters with people we come into contact with. That is one level of testing the core of what you believe. But then along comes this person with higher stakes, and they present you with the opportunity to show you what you’re made of. How do you react?
How do you manage vulnerability? If you build up concrete walls around yourself, are you really growing? I don’t think you can. You can create healthy barriers, but those aren’t set in stone walls. Think of barriers as fluid, movable barricades where you’re able to come back to yourself and get sorted before continuing to interact with anyone else. Do you give yourself that healthy space to operate from?