When Nathan said I could use his blog, I imagined building an audience catered to him. But as I got going I realized I am in no way capable of that. Nathan is Science while I am Art. We are yin and yang and that's what makes us work. So, while Nathan is taking his time thinking up apps and such for Steemit, I am going to embrace who I (@shawnamawna) am and share what I share.
Today I'm thinking about vulnerability and how easy it is to shut down. I don't want to be a person who is closed off, but because I have experienced trauma that trained me to defend by cutting off all access, I have to work hard to stay open.
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To stay open is to consciously choose vulnerability.
The trick to this is knowing that, even when vulnerable, you are still in power over your experience. The states seem at odds: vulnerable and empowered. But the truth is vulnerability is necessarily empowered because it requires tremendous courage to be emotionally exposed.
Not everyone in the world is kind. Courage can come from knowing that we can be kind to ourselves. If you are feeling small and frightened because the world is big and mean, remember that you are important. You have whatever value you give yourself.
Now imagine yourself receiving a warm hug. That is what I'm offering you. You deserve it.
xoxo,
Shawna