Vulnerability – What Happens Next?

Vulnerability. That word gives me chills. Maybe that word gives you chills too.

What happens when you are vulnerable? Or maybe I should ask what do you THINK will happen when you are vulnerable?

Most of us can have a heap load of fear about being vulnerable. Or maybe some don’t even know how to be vulnerable. It’s not really something that is very natural to us and we are not all just good at it the first time we do it. Even if we wish we were.

Fear can hold us back from being vulnerable. Or maybe trying something new.

I went waaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone by launching this blog, and opening up so much more about who I am and what I have been through. Talking about my personal cancer and depression journeys is kind of scary. I allowed fear to hold me back because the results were unknown. Vulnerability is hard because we don’t know what will happen when we are vulnerable and open up.

Can I share a secret with you? Just you? I get anxious every time I post a new blog. Yup, it’s true. Who knows what people will think of what I share? I sure don’t.

Each time we are vulnerable, it could go really well or it could go really bad. We just don’t know. But, I think it’s like any other skill, if we do it often enough, we can get better at it.

And how great would it be if the response to opening up is very positive? Maybe it could even open doors for you or create an unexpected opportunity that wouldn’t have come any other way. Wow, wouldn’t that be exciting!

This blog forces me to be very vulnerable with you, my readers each and every post I make. Is it super easy now? Nope, definitely not, but it’s coming along. I’m a work in progress, just like each and every one of you are.

What are you afraid to open up about or do? What things are holding you back? Is it a specific person or a specific situation? We all have these things. Sometimes we create a defense mechanism that really just acts like a mask. A mask that covers and hides who we truly are. A mask that shields us from what or who we fear.

Being vulnerable came be the stripping away of that mask. That shield we have put up, sometimes for years and years. Being open and being real, takes guts. It takes courage. In some moments courage takes so much out of us. It zaps us of so much energy and strength. But the reward can be so worth it. Even if it’s just the freedom from the shield/mask we created.

I have been amazed how God uses those scary opportunities when I am vulnerable for greater things. Things I wouldn’t have even imagined myself.

When was the last time you would say you allowed yourself to be vulnerable? Where was it? What happened? Was it encouraging for the next time for you to be more courageous?

But what about when your mental health is pretty low? Maybe you are just having a rough day or maybe you are working through the depths of depression. What do you do then? These things look different for each one of us. I would encourage you to take that step out in faith and courage. It might be one giant leap like when I actually hit the publish button for this website, or it might be one tiny step forward in doing something small. But it’s still one step forward into being vulnerable.

There is no one right answer for everyone or one same action step for each of us to take. It all looks so different for each of us. If this is new for you, I encourage you to take that tiny step today. Maybe tomorrow it will be a small step, and then the next time it’s a larger step forward. God uses these moments to build character in us.

Friend if that is you, the person afraid to be vulnerable, afraid to lower that mask, I’m praying for you. You can do it, take that first step out and be vulnerable.

I would love to hear your stories of being vulnerable or anything else you want to share. Comment below or message me in the contact section of the site. If you think someone else might like this blog or find any of them helpful don’t forget to share.