Vulnerability. It’s a good thing.
One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions of the word vulnerable is “capable of being physically or emotionally wounded.”
Isn’t that interesting—the use of the words “capable” and “wounded”? That makes so much sense to me now as to why so many of us lack vulnerability. We simply are not capable of it because we don’t want to be hurt.
Facing Hard Truths and Finding Me
I recently had the great fortune to have dinner with 6 lovely women—all of us either approaching 50 or part way through the decade. Some of us already knew each other, some of us were meeting for the first time.
Divorce, a cross-country move and a resolve to evolve.
What is it about midlife that makes us suddenly need to reevaluate the life we’ve been leading? For me, it was because I finally had the time to take a long, hard look in the mirror. And I didn’t really know the woman looking back at me anymore. The kids were grown and needing me less and less. Who was I without the daily job of being a mother?
Your Burning Desire in Midlife
I would wager any midlife woman reading this would agree that a burning desire to live their best self is an overarching value in their life. In fact, this is the time in their lives when women begin to heed their inner wisdom and say, "What about me?"
My Secret: Being Vulnerable About My Identity
Somewhere along the way, I learned that being strong meant not being vulnerable. To me, showing vulnerability meant being weak. And being weak is just about the worst thing you can be. I think a lot about how that happened.