By Mudit Jha | 9th March, 2022
Would you consider vulnerability to be your greatest weakness? Well, believe it or not, being vulnerable can actually lead to better connections and building active environments for growth. But there are some things you should probably consider before you let loose your emotions.
What exactly is vulnerability? In simple words it is an act of being vulnerable; one many see as being open to attacks or harm emotionally. Many of us see vulnerability as a weakness- a shameful place we avoid visiting at all costs.
But this thought process can have greater negative outcomes. To explore these outcomes further let's implore on the illustration below:
This illustration shows how analogous a shield is to a human being. As the shield gets stronger: the more rigid it becomes. Similarly, one begins to develop an unhealthy ego and fixed mindset as they become more rigid. This can be very harmful, as it makes the person very self-centered, which is detrimental to teamwork and leadership within communities.
The key to avoiding such repercussions is for one to lower their shield, only then will they be able to absorb new insights and ideas. They learn to let go of their ego and shift into a more healthy, growth mindset.
👉 It's certainly not easy to lower our shields and go through vulnerable experiences. They can make you feel anxious and give you a strong urge to self-protect.
💪 You Need Courage To Be Vulnerable
"Courage can only be found within yourself."
People often misinterpret courage as a talent that leaders are born with. This is greatly deceiving- courage is not something that is unique to leaders, but instead, courage is a skill that can be earned- not easily but, with determination, persistence, and hard work it is possible for anyone.
After getting the courage to be vulnerable you need to make sure that the people with who you exhibit vulnerability are those whose opinions matter to you. Being vulnerable to absolutely everyone is the last thing you should do. Leaving yourself open to emotional comments and attacks from strangers who lack complete knowledge of you and your intentions is going to introduce nothing but negativity.
🗣️ How To Take In Feedback And Comments Positively
Once you have figured out the correct people with whom you can be vulnerable, you must absorb their feedback. This tends to be the hardest step since the feedback can be harshly critical and painfully honest, and your brain wants to do everything to be either be aggressive and fight back with hateful remarks or, be silent and get dissolved in hate and depression.
The only way to avoid these results is to be open-minded and remember why you wanted to be vulnerable in the first place. It was for self-improvement and growth. Acknowledging your “why” will allow you to shift your perspective to one that willingly uses feedback as a piece of improvement and growth rather than a hateful remark or mean phrase.
👉 To sum it all up: Always try to find the courage to be vulnerable to the right type of people that will help you grow and look at life from a different perspective.
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