There Is Power In Your Vulnerability

Being vulnerable is the same as being powerful. It’s strange because in life everyone tells you-you should chase your dreams, but what no one tells you is you have to be willing, almost asking to look like a fool. You have to know and embrace you’re going to fail. It’s almost like diving into a pool and purposefully doing a belly flop. Yes, it’s going to hurt, but you have to do it in order to get anywhere in life. You have to be vulnerable to criticism, to judgment, and ridicule. I’ve been told so many times, “I can’t believe you want to be an actress, people are going to constantly judge you.” And yes these people are accurate, I am going to be judged and definitely mocked and I will look foolish most of the time. But what’s amazing is that feeling you have when you know you’re being completely vulnerable and yet you have all the power. Everyone is looking at you, you hold the attention of the room, if only for a minute. And yes maybe they won’t like you and maybe they’ll think you’re stupid for wanting to even be an actress, but you do have power and that is a beautiful thing. Being vulnerable is super cool. It’s funny because I am terrified of being vulnerable, especially when it comes to men and dating. I actively try to seem uninterested and cool and collected. I know this is because I am terrified of not only rejection but also coming off too easy. Even though I am an actress and being vulnerable is the definition of the job, in my personal life, I’m the least vulnerable person I know. And the worst part about it is I know the unhappiness I am creating for myself. I am in full control of it and if I can only just let go and release that control and accept vulnerability, I could open up the door to happiness. Why is it so hard for me? Am I scared to be hurt, abused, loved? Am I truly scared to be loved? I think I am. Because being loved is something we all want, and when it actually happens, it can be the scariest thing. What I am going to advise myself and to you all is to do what scares you. I think fear is an emotion that can easily translate into excitement. You can be so scared to go on that roller coaster, bungee jump from a bridge, but these fears cross over to the most thrilling excitement. Being scared to do anything only means you should do it. Sorry to put it that simply, but it’s true. I am not advising you to commit murder, but I am telling you to take a look at what scares you the most: traveling to a new place, taking a ballet class, calling someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, dancing down the street, writing an honest article. Figure out what scares you the most and narrow down that feeling you have inside of what scares you but also feels right and go and do that thing.