"I wish people were more vulnerable with their, well, vulnerability. I feel like people are so scared to be vulnerable because it’s associated with pain and fear most of the time, but that’s not always the case. I have a sticker on my laptop that says, “Find strength in your fragility.” This quote in particular speaks to me in so many ways. I am a very sensitive person, and I’ve been told my entire life that I am “too sensitive”. That used to make me feel really weak and vulnerable, and it still does sometimes, but I’ve found that embracing it more of the time is better than pushing it away. Because of my sensitivity, I find that I possess a lot of empathy, and that’s a quality I love about myself. Empathy is so, so important, because if you don’t have empathy, well then, you’re clinically diagnosed as a psychopath. Excess empathy is just one of the positive things that has come out of me embracing my vulnerability. I feel as though if more people were able to look into their vulnerabilities a little more, they’d find out really great things about themselves. It doesn’t have to be everyday, it doesn’t even have to be every month, because I understand that vulnerabilities can be painful, but if a situation pops up and you’re like “Hey, this makes me feel kind of vulnerable,” just take a sec and think about it. You may feel or discover something, or you may not, and that is totally okay. But you embraced your vulnerability for a second, and that’s pretty awesome."
- Polina Oregon, USA |