It's Okay to be Vulnerable

In fact, being okay with being vulnerable makes us stronger. When I was younger, I was plagued with stage fright like you wouldn't believe. Classic symptoms like loss of pigment, beating heart, trembling, and feeling faint were all routine for me when even the thought of having to get in front of people entered my mind. Fast forward to today. I'm in a band. I've sang songs with vulnerable lyrics that I wrote myself in front of hundreds of people. How did I get here? It was a long journey, and maybe I'll write about it in another post, but the short version is that I became ok with being vulnerable in front of people. It was being vulnerable that frightened me. I was at the mercy of everyone watching me. What would they think of me? What if I let them down? What if I'm not funny? What if I forget what I need to say?  The point is that it doesn't matter. When I get on stage, my blood is red, just like everyone else's. If I make a mistake, it's ok. I'm human. If I embarrass myself, who hasn't? If folks laugh at me, who cares. I'd probably laugh if I were them too. I've let go of my fear of being vulnerable, and it's made me stronger. When you're not afraid of being vulnerable, when you're ok with it, you can do anything. It has lead to me being able to live a more fulfilling life. That's another reason I have this blog. It's an exercise in vulnerability. Everything I write won't be good. Sometimes it may be downright cheesy, and that's ok. I'm human, and this is fun.

So there ya' have it. Wear those scars on your body, on your soul, on your mind. Our broken pieces make up a mosaic that tells the stories of our unique lives. They tell the story of what we've come up against. The fact that we are still alive is a testament to our strength, and is an inspiration to others struggling in this petri dish we call the human experience.

"What makes you vulnerable, makes you beautiful." -Brené Brown

In the words of Pink Floyd, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."