Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage

Thriving Together
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Emotional Freedom comes with feelings that we, as humans, all have. And… those feelings get re-framed and re-structured to make us more resilient… AND FREE to be Ourselves.

Vulnerability, for example, is part of any kind of expression.

  • Tell somehow how you feel about them? Vulnerable.
  • Create a piece of art and share it? Vulnerable.
  • Post a topic here in the community center? Vulnerable.

Vulnerability doesn’t mean the same as susceptible!

When we’re susceptible because of trauma or limiting beliefs or lack of support, then it means that there’s a feeling like it’s “too risky” to do something – or be someone – even if it would be true to our Essence to do so.

When we’re tending to our emotional freedom, we become Aware of our susceptibility and we use skill and support (We-Space) to close the wound, reduce the rawness, and cultivate strength.

It will still FEEL like an act of courage to share, to post, to engage, to be truthful. The body sensations awaken, activate, prepare you.

You’ll just be Aware (and come to trust) that you will not just survive… that you will thrive ever so more as you enter into vulnerable space with yourself and others. Those same sensations will feel ALIVE to you rather than being interpreted as anxiety and warning of impending threat.

It’s so worth it. I’m here with you exploring and in this vulnerable space, we get to share out truth and celebrate our strength.

Vulnerability is never a weakness.

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I so know vulnerability ! It is wonderful to have this space to share my vulnerability even though it feels very strange and a little bit like looking for sympathy or showing off. These are both uncomfortable feelings and still are. I could tap and possibility go to neutral about the feelings. I don’t think any amount of tapping could eliminate them. I could be mistaken and I would love to be proved mistaken. That doesn’t mean that I will stop sharing my vulnerability.

I was in another group a few years ago who stressed how safe we were to post all of our “feels” as she called it. I stuck my toe in the vulnerability energy of the group. It didn’t feel comfortable but thinking it was just me being too sensitive, I continued. One day we were asked to post something about our inner child and many of us did. There were beautiful, heart felt posts when suddenly the administrator appeared live on the page and told us how this group was not about inner child, that we were “beyond” that energy and some get stuck in it and cannot grow. She said no more inner child posts now. I was shocked! Of course that was the end of that group for me although it didn’t end well because I didn’t tap and get help how to respond and I did it in a rather ugly way. I shut down for a long while. With Rick’s help and tapping I healed from the experience.

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Feels like courage. And yeah, we sensitives often pick up on that a space isn’t necessarily (!) going to be able to hold all aspects of us. That feels like truth to me, and I include this community center, too. Feels like it’s requiring some courage to honor there are limits here, too, even if we won’t necessarily know exactly what they are in advance.

I do know that “civil discourse” is core. And laughter and tears are welcome here.

I want to honor how difficult it is to know what a space (or relationship) can hold. Sometimes I hear people invite things like sharing their “feels” without any limits on them whatsoever, and no sense that there is a limit. But there always is.

A We-Space is always a container. It may have soft edges, but any ecosystem has limits to maintain growth and replenishment and nourishment.

How in the world are we supposed to know?!?

I don’t know. Trying to figure that out. Been working to figure that out since I was 14. :wink:

Spaces change, too. People get depleted, and sometimes in a place where they cannot deal with what is coming up, or suddenly need to set a “surprise” boundary that shocks everyone. That has always been really hard on my nervous system. I get that shut down feeling, too. And I’ve had to do that myself with a few individuals over the years doing this, too.

I remember when someone posted a real insult about Cathy on a youtube video we did. I was about to delete it, and because it was a co-creation, I asked her and she wanted to respond. Such courage and clarity I witnessed in her reply. I was grateful to have a co-creator to share the emotional labor of hosting a space with.

A few months later, I spoke up that having that energy in a comment was impacting my own sense of the space, and she was okay deleting it then. (This is my recollection; I think… uhhh… I know I have some resentment towards that kind of personal attack in a space I tend, and that may be clouding the exact details.)

For me what we’re exploring here is the edge of heartistry in spaces. I appreciate SO MUCH the sharing you’re doing. It matters to me. I believe it matters to We as well.

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