Vulnerability

Being vulnerable is my least favourite thing to do. I feel exposed, open and bare when I do so. In spite of that I still allow myself express vulnerability because it is a fragment of a much larger part of who I am, it is an imperfection that tells a story about my journey and what I have been through in the short years of my existence.

I always say the art of vulnerability is perfection. We try to be the perfect beings without flaws, some people even go as far as living their lives so picture-perfect like they don’t even do the number 2 in the toilet. We are created to be perfectly imperfect. Our flaws, insecurities and imperfection are mosaics of who we are as a whole and while we become too focused on parts of ourselves that aren’t flattering, we forget to take stock of our positive qualities and parts of ourselves that are admirable and easy to flaunt. We focus on our insecurities and become more insecure but no one tells us that becoming acquainted with our vulnerability is a beautiful thing, it is understanding how the imperfect parts of ourselves can come together perfectly to create a bigger picture of who we are and what we are about.

In our vulnerability, we start to become aware of our life’s purpose and how to articulate our story. The parts of us that are vulnerable are the hardest part of our stories to tell. I have been vulnerable by sharing my stories of sexual abuse as a child, my mental health journey, struggles with fame, career and substance abuse. When I share these parts of myself it is intentional even though I do it afraid and anxious that I am being vulnerable for the world to see but when I do so, what I am vulnerable about becomes a catalyst to not just my healing but someone else’s healing as well. Someone who is going through a similar experience finds courage through the articulation of my own story that I was vulnerable enough to share.

While vulnerability might not be the easiest thing to do, it is empowering and liberating.