Category: Vulnerability

Rebuilding Your Island

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Recently, I returned from an amazing honeymoon voyage to the Virgin Islands. As our ship docked, we were in breathtaking awe of the pristine clear blue waters and lush tropical hillsides. We were greeted by locals dressed in colorful costumes representing their indigenous culture and dancing to Caribbean music. Quaint shops lined the historic avenues and street vendors displayed their wares with cheerful enthusiasm. One could not help but be taken away on a warm breeze of excitement. Taxi drivers lined the avenues willing to take you on tours of their treasured island for this is the home of THE “Treasure Island” boasting the resting place of much famous pirate booty, ship wrecks, water wonders with many colorful species of coral (who knew “fire coral” is a thing); animals, military forts, historic landmarks, and much tropical horticulture.


Joining other eager tourists, we commandeered a taxi bound for the other side of the is ...

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Posted in:

  • Afterwardsness
  • Comfort
  • Decisions
  • Effort
  • Family
  • Presence
  • Processing
  • Relationships
  • Story
  • Tragedy
  • Trauma
  • Vulnerability
  • compassion

Tags:

  • Community
  • Confidence
  • Connection
  • change
  • coping
  • courage
  • friendships
  • growth
  • intentional
  • relationships
  • story
  • success
  • trauma
  • trust
  • vulnerable

Vulnerability is Not Weakness

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I grew up in a culture where opening up emotionally, or being vulnerable, was seen as weakness. It was for the gullible and naive - not the courageous.

Men were discouraged from ever showing sadness or fear. If they did, they were called names and made fun of for being “weak.” The only “negative” emotion that was socially acceptable to show was anger. If the men dared to show any sign of emotional vulnerability, their masculinity (a core identity for many) was instantly placed under public scrutiny.

Likewise, women were labeled as “overly emotional” if they cried in public. Women who were emotionally “stable” were the ones that cried in private and didn’t “make a fuss.” Another way of putting this is that they silenced their hearts and didn’t let others know how they really felt.

Many parents discouraged their children from crying in public to avoid embarrassment around onlookers. Parents cared more about the opini ...

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Posted in:

  • Vulnerability

Tags:

  • Emotions
  • courage
  • shame

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