Is it okay to be vulnerable?

What is vulnerability anyway?  My definition means that I am open to receive from the unknown that which it has made available for me to receive.  The dictionary says that to be vulnerable, one is open to moral attack, criticism and even susceptible to harm.  Like everything else in life, each one of us gets to choose which interpretation fits us.  Some have even said that being vulnerable means that you are opening the way for weakness to seep into your life yet for me I have seen that when I stand boldly asking God to show me the way that I need to walk, I am being vulnerable to his way. 

It has taken me a long time in my life to agree to relinquish control of my situations and allow God to guide my course.  I have always been good at controlling my situations and making sure that my way was heard and acknowledged but now I see that in all of my controlling ways, I have actually tied me up in knots, physical and emotional knots.  I finally am beginning to see the difference between vulnerability and stubborn denial or gruesome fear.

Today I believe that being open to change and new possibilities allows me to see life in a different way and it also helps me to remove my blinders and see the larger picture free from falsehoods and the veneer of feeling like I have it all together. 

Some might say that when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable we are opening up the possibility for being excessively exposed and/or unguarded for the prey to pounce.  Mind you, I said vulnerability not careless stupidity!

There is a definite difference between the two and I do not believe their paths cross at all; instead they are in conflict with each other.    I can be vulnerable without leaving myself unprotected or defenseless. 

In my journey to be more vulnerable to God, I have discovered that my power and strengths are more defined and definitely avail me the opportunity to feel less fearful as I free my energy up and allow God to show me the way.  Therefore, I can say that as I have allowed my self to be more vulnerable, I have learned to:

1.  Trust more

2.  Explore more and willingly put myself in situations that are new to me because I know I can comfortably keep walking

3.  Put aside my expectations and become open for something different to unfold not through fear but through joy-fill expectations

4.  Don’t panic but instead think positively as I continue to take one step in front of the other because God has got my back

5.  But most of all, believe that I am not alone – that I have a team of Angels and Spirit Guides who are guiding my journey, therefore, I have nothing to fear but fear itself. 

Through my willingness to be open and vulnerable to what God has in store for me, I am learning to accept much more easily what is placed in front of me as I venture into the unknown.  My self-imposed walls and defenses are coming down and what I once felt was fearsome is no longer so.  It is amazing to realize that what I once thought was difficult to accept or perceive is now easy so I guess I can say with confidence, feeling vulnerable means that I am open to have new experiences that just might brighten my day as I explore the unknown.  I hope you will give vulnerability a chance; you might be pleasantly surprised as new doors open for you too!

Joan Marie Ambrose

Author, Creative Writer, Motivational Speaker