Live Your Empowered Life

THE COURAGE OF VULNERABILITY

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Have you ever felt vulnerable and exposed? Or caught unaware?  That is what happened to me. I have just written my very first book.  Now that it’s in print, I am beginning to realize that launching it out into the world is a bit like holding a new born infant. I wonder what her future holds?  Will she be loved?  Will she be safe? Will she make a difference in the world?  And feeling oh, so vulnerable.

The feeling reminded of when my son was born.  Feeling scared and vulnerable, I

continued to seek answers to parenting in books - actually any book that could help me allay my fear of being a brand new mother.  Then one day my own mother said to me, “The answer to parenting isn’t in any book. The only way to be a good mother is to BE one.”  So, I began to work on my fear of being a bad mother by surrendering to the daily work of motherhood and supporting this new precious being.

This morning as I was contemplating my book launch, I felt the same sort of fear as when my son was born. Some of the same questions arose. What does the future hold for my book? Will it be loved? Will it make a difference in the world? But mostly I was feeling the vulnerability of uncertainty and self-exposure.  After a few fearful tears, I thought, what could I read to help me have courage through this book launch?  Then the next thought came rushing in, You have written the book that you are seeking, silly.  HA! Funny, it was right there in front of me the whole time!

I began to realize, yet again, that Empowerment doesn’t make the fear of vulnerability go away.  In a masculine driven world of competition, comparison and striving to be the best, vulnerability is to be kept hidden.  Don’t show them your underbelly or your softness or they will go for the jugular. Now, after having done my personal journey to empowerment, I see that it means meeting whatever you are facing WITH vulnerability. By surrendering to the process and getting out of your own way, you then allow the Truth of who you are to shine out into the world.  Being Empowered is about having more confidence than fear to co-create your life in brilliant and amazing ways.  Sometimes even a smidge of confidence can get you through the fear.

So, I proceeded to pull one of my empowerment cards which are a companion to my new book.  It held a quote by author, Howard Falco which reads, When you stop fighting the truth of what is happening, relax and let go of fear, there is much more calmness and clarity of mind.  And with that I went out to meet my day, allowing myself to be vulnerable and willing to see what happens next on my personal journey to empowerment.