RISING Strong, a book by
Brené Brown, made me angry. Angry that I hadn’t picked it up a few hours
earlier. Hours earlier, in conniption land, where nothing of life made sense in
one large area of my life, I could have done with Brown’s astoundingly simple
wisdom; a wisdom I often write about. I write about it because I need more of
it — the strength to be weak, and the power to be vulnerable.
I’m so weak by nature, and so
fearful at times, and I’d be ashamed to say it — a man of my forty-eight years —
if I didn’t already know that my apparent weakness is its own strength… as I
bounce back each time.
And we do bounce back. That’s the
point of falling. Getting back up. The immediate impact of simply opening Brown’s
book was revelatory. It’s no Bible, of course, but it helped me see how normal
vulnerability is — or feeling vulnerable is, I should say.
Vulnerability, of course, is hardly normal.
Most of us have adapted to a life
where we’ve found that vulnerability has not ever rewarded us. It’s been too
much of a risk to be vulnerable. And vulnerability continues being a risk, in
that many people will still want to squash us into submission because we have
the audacity to present them a raw, honest, weaker-than-denial self. Well, up
yours I say!
Being vulnerable is so
countercultural it’s not valued; but we ought to know that God values our
vulnerability, because it’s the truth.
I want to teach people to be more
vulnerable, but that means I have to practice what I preach, and that means
being less ashamed of myself when others reject my vulnerability. It’s just
horrid being a scared little forty-eight-year-old, 100kg (220lb) to boot! But
that’s me. It’s the ‘me’ that God’s made me to be.
What about you? What
vulnerabilities do you have that tempt you into feeling embarrassed and
ashamed? God wants you to embrace those very things, like he’s encouraging me
to do the same thing.
There’s no shame in vulnerability,
but we must remind ourselves often. That’s because the enemy is a snake in the
grass. Satan works by shame.
So here’s the challenge, as Brown
would also put it — fall, and fall with candour. Fall knowing that being
vulnerable dignifies every fall. Fall with intent. Fall knowing you’ll get
right back up again.
It takes so
much courage,
To be me
and you,
Courage
means vulnerability,
A commitment to being true.
© 2015 Steve Wickham.
I too have recently read her book. Vulnerability is the key to growth. When I become vulnerable in the relationships I foster, it is then, I too, learn to grow. So true, there is no shame in vulnerability.
ReplyDeleteI too have recently read her book. Vulnerability is the key to growth. When I become vulnerable in the relationships I foster, it is then, I too, learn to grow. So true, there is no shame in vulnerability.
ReplyDelete