Being vulnerable begins with curiosity. Forget what they say about the cat — go on and poke your head into all of the glorious nooks and crannies of your heart.
Scary as it may be sometimes (watch out for cobwebs), you’ve got to peer past the window of your soul to really see what’s up in order to make real change.
Not sure how where to start? Try standing in front of the mirror, naked.
Don’t comb your hair. Don’t wash your face.
Examine your soul in its current state and avoid the need to tidy things up first. Explore and accept where you are in this moment.
This is how you begin, with all of your imperfection and incompleteness out on the table. You don’t have to be perfect in order to love yourself or receive love from others. Relish the fact that there’s room left for you to grow, more of yourself left to discover.
What does it feel like to inhabit your body?
In her book Tiny Beautiful Things, our gal Cheryl Strayed says, ”You have to find a way to inhabit your body while enacting your deepest desires. You have to be brave enough to build the intimacy you deserve. You have to take off all your clothes and say, ‘I’m right here.’”
Does your body feel inhabited or vacant? Full or running on empty?
This is an important pulse-check for your emotions and it isn’t as simple or easy as it sounds, so take your time. Be gracious with yourself.
Remember, living fully isn’t about showing up to your life each day with your nails manicured and your hair blown-out.
Nope, uh-uh.
It’s about embracing where you are right now, then (and only then) imagining where you want to be tomorrow, next week, next year. And what you imagine for yourself is going to be a beautiful reality, we just know it.
Sources:
Christine Hassler, The 5 Stages Of Personal Growth. Mind Body Green.
Paul Jun, Cheryl Strayed on Loving Yourself and Being Vulnerable With Your Imperfections. Motivated Mastery.
Mary Polce-Lynch et al, Gender and Age Patterns in Emotional Expression, Body Image, and Self-Esteem: A Qualitative Analysis. Sex Roles.