Vulnerability has always felt like a paradox: something that can simultaneously break us down and build us up. Growing up, I believed strength meant hiding my pain, suppressing my emotions, and never revealing my true self. But life, with its relentless lessons, has shown me the profound healing that comes from embracing vulnerability.

Openness vs. Vulnerability

I’ve come to understand there’s a massive difference between openness and vulnerability.

Anyone who knows me would describe me as an open book; my life, struggles, and victories have always been on display for the world to see. Yet openness alone is more about transparency, while vulnerability goes deeper, requiring us to reveal our innermost emotions, fears, hopes, and desires. Vulnerability is courageous because it demands trust, intention, and acceptance of uncertainty; it means inviting others into the emotional core of who you truly are, fully aware you cannot control how they will respond.

For years, my inability to be vulnerable created a painful cycle. I would bottle everything up until one small trigger blew the lid off. Suddenly, every repressed emotion would erupt onto anyone nearby, leaving me confused, ashamed, and isolated. Each explosion reinforced the destructive belief that I was inherently flawed, undeserving of love, and destined for failure.

Facing Myself: A Journey Within

My journey with vulnerability began internally.

Over the past five years, my life has been profoundly impacted by a brain injury and the end of a significant relationship. These events, particularly being bedridden with my brain injury, forced me into a deeply introspective journey, compelling me to confront questions I’d long avoided: “Who am I beneath all the expectations and roles? Where is my value if all of that is gone?” This inward exploration began by acknowledging my own pain, my limitations, and feelings of helplessness, all truths I’d previously hidden even from myself.

As I began recovering, I needed to openly advocate for my needs and desires. I have limitations … I can’t help it … and I had to clearly communicate them. Expressing exactly what I could and couldn’t do, what I needed, and how I felt was frightening at first. Meeting someone new felt incredibly scary and embarrassing; I was deeply ashamed of how my injury had changed me and worried about how others would perceive me without my usual masks.

Many people disappeared from my life during this process, but those who stayed … my chosen family … provided unwavering support. The depths of myself I’d hidden for so long were finally being honored and cared for. Supported by their genuine love, I gradually found the courage to explore vulnerability in other areas of my life.

Living Vulnerably: A New Way Forward

Today, I intentionally choose to live as vulnerably as possible.

While full self-acceptance remains an ongoing journey, each moment of vulnerability with myself deepens my understanding and compassion for who I truly am. Gradually, the harmful cycle of bottling up emotions and exploding has been replaced by this profound cycle of vulnerability, acceptance, and compassion. By openly acknowledging my feelings, limitations, and needs, I’ve created space for genuine emotional freedom and authentic connections.

Living vulnerably has transformed how I interact with the world. It means showing up as my full self, even when it feels uncomfortable, allowing my emotions to be seen instead of suppressing them, voicing my needs instead of minimizing them, and letting others in instead of pushing them away. It means being honest when I’m struggling, asking for help when I need it, and trusting that the people who truly care about me will hold space for my truth.

But vulnerability isn’t just about personal expression, it also impacts how I engage with others. I’ve learned to not be derailed by others emotions, meeting people where they are without wanting to fix the uncomfortable, and to create space for real, raw and honest relationships. I no longer seek connection through performance or perfection but through presence, truth, and shared humanity.

This shift has been both liberating and terrifying. There are moments when vulnerability feels like an open wound, when the fear of rejection still lingers, when the instinct to armor up creeps back in. But I’ve come to realize that while vulnerability carries risk, it also holds the key to real belonging.

My relationships now feel deeper, built on a foundation of truth rather than fear or judgment. My sense of belonging has grown immensely because I no longer try to fit into spaces that require me to hide parts of myself. I allow myself to be seen exactly as I am: imperfect, evolving, yet beautifully human.

And while I’m still learning, still growing, still unlearning the instinct to hide, one thing is clear: living vulnerably is one of the most courageous and rewarding things I have ever done.

Today, I encourage you to begin your own journey toward vulnerability, starting gently with yourself. Embrace who you truly are without shame, and witness the powerful connections and healing vulnerability brings. Your authentic self is your greatest strength. 💛

Your Turn to Reflect

What parts of yourself have you been hiding, and what would it feel like to let them be seen? If you feel safe, share your thoughts below—or simply hold this truth close: You don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love. You are enough exactly as you are.