While we have all heard about the power of love, are you also aware of the power of your own vulnerability?
Have you ever thought about accepting your weaknesses and expressing them without fear? Maybe you have but many things might refrain you from doing it, especially at work. For instance, you might have been told earlier in life that you’d better be bullish if you want to succeed since being bearish could be interpreted by your peers as a sign of weakness and pessimism.
That’s why it is important to reflect on your personal drivers. Maybe you just learned to be strong, no matter what. Or also to be perfect in any circumstances. Some of you could also be obsessed with being nice and pleasing others. Since they come from your education and early childhood, you might not be able to change your inner drivers that easily. But in any case, it could be useful to know them and to realise that they often guide your behaviour, in your private and professional lives.
Getting to know who you are could be a first step toward becoming who you want to be. Forgetting to be strong once in a while could help you share your emotions with others. In other words, taking some distance from your inner drivers could be a way of getting closer to the universe and its diversity.
If you don’t want to live in a world where everybody has to be strong all the time, you can be the change. Claiming that weak is beautiful is up to you! Every now and then you are allowed to fall apart. And this is OK! You deserve to be happy in the long term. And sometimes it can imply some suffering along the way. Please don’t be ashamed of it! Nobody can feel good and strong every minute of every day.
In a society where individual performance is often celebrated but also over-rated, you can learn to be more independent from the need to be strong and/or perfect. What can help you is often a friend or also seeing yourself as your own best friend.
When you face professional difficulties, you can be tempted to hide things and keep everything for you because you feel ashamed of who you are. Just to pretend everything is under control. Because you were taught to do so. But what if you tried to open up and see what happens?
Maybe you would realise that other people face similar difficulties. And maybe it would be easier to connect to them. Connecting to the sorrow of others could be of great relief for you. Sometimes it can be as simple as that.
Sharing your negative emotions and experience could help you recover faster. Even in a competitive business context. Your peers and managers could be able to show some empathy. They could surprise you.
I am not saying that you should complain every day at work or focus relentlessy on your shortcomings. I am rather suggesting that introducing some emotions and tears at work could be beneficial from time to time, particularly for your inner self. Feeling authentic and showing up who you are might change the general atmosphere and might help your peers to open up as well when facing challenges.
All of this requires some self-confidence. And also some faith in your work environment. You have to believe that the difficulties you are facing are temporary and that things might finally get better. If you compare all this to more personal relationships, you need to be able to think that another love, a new one is still possible after all you have been through.
Sharing your weaknesses and doubts with your colleagues can be a way of going through change and personal transformation. Your determination will guide you during the whole process. And after a while you might admit that vulnerable is the new strong!
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