The Courage to Be Vulnerable

Vulnerability rarely gets the recognition it deserves. People who show their true emotions are often seen as weak. But to me, vulnerability has always been a form of courage—something that makes us real and connected to others. I was often told that I was “too sensitive,” and trust me, I wanted to change, to suppress my true self.

My desire to understand myself better—my vulnerability, or we can say my softness and empathy—led me to Brené Brown, a professor at the University of Houston who has dedicated decades to studying vulnerability, courage, shame, and empathy. Through her research and powerful storytelling, she shows that vulnerability is not something to fear, but something to embrace.

Why Vulnerability Matters

Brown discovered that vulnerability lies at the heart of emotional life. It’s the moment we choose to show up exactly as we are—without masks, without pretending. Vulnerability is the beginning of genuine connection.

Her TED talk “The Power of Vulnerability” https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?si=-FJjUE00ZFjIsWi8 resonated with millions because it expresses a universal truth: vulnerability is not weakness; it is the source of courage, empathy, creativity, and love.

Taking Off the Armor

Before we can fully embrace vulnerability, we have to recognize the “armor” we use to protect ourselves:

• perfectionism

• people-pleasing so that everyone will like us

• emotional numbing

• overworking to prove our worth

• pretending everything is fine so no one can criticize us

These habits may give us a temporary sense of safety, but they distance us from ourselves and from others. Vulnerability asks for a different approach—honesty, presence, and self-acceptance. It teaches us that we are worthy of love and belonging exactly as we are.

Facing the Fear

Of course, embracing vulnerability isn’t easy. It involves uncertainty, emotional exposure, and the risk of being misunderstood or rejected. Brené Brown reminds us that this risk is necessary. Without vulnerability, there is no real love, no joy, no sense of belonging.

By acknowledging our fears instead of running from them, we begin to remove the barriers that keep us from being authentic.

So…

Vulnerability is not a flaw—it’s the greatest source of our authenticity.

By allowing ourselves to be empathetic and visible, we open the door to deeper relationships and a more meaningful life.

If you haven’t explored the work of Brené Brown yet, consider this your sign to begin.

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Hrabrost da budemo ranjivi

U današnjem svetu, ranjivost retko dobija priznanje koje zaslužuje. Ljude koji pokazuju svoje prave emocije često ih vide kao slabe. Ali za mene, ranjivost sam oduvek smatrala hrabrošću— nešto što nas čini stvarnim i povezanima sa drugima. Često su i meni govorilo da sam “ preosetljiva” i verujte mi, htela sam da se promenim, da potisnem svoje pravo ja. 

Želja da bolje razumem sebe i svoju ranjivost ili možemo reci cal i empatičnost, dovela me do Brené Brown, profesorke na Univerzitetu u Hjustonu, koja je posvetila decenije proučavanju ranjivosti, hrabrosti, srama i empatije. Kroz svoje istraživanje i inspirativno pripovedanje, pokazala je da ranjivost nije nešto čega treba da se plašimo — već nešto što treba da prihvatimo. Videćete i zašto.

Zašto je ranjivost važna

Brene  Brown je otkrila da ranjivost leži u srcu emocionalnog života. To je trenutak kada odlučimo da se pokažemo onakvima kakvi zaista jesmo — bez maski, bez pretvaranja. Ranjivost je početak pravih veza.

Njen TED govor „The Power of Vulnerability” -Moć ranjivosti , možete da pogledate na linku: https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o?si=-FJjUE00ZFjIsWi8 odjeknuo je kod miliona ljudi zato što govori univerzalnu istinu: ranjivost nije slabost, već izvor hrabrosti, empatije, kreativnosti i ljubavi.

Skidanje oklopa

Pre nego što možemo u potpunosti prihvatiti ranjivost, moramo prepoznati „oklop“ koji koristimo da bismo se zaštitili:

• perfekcionizam

• udovoljavanju drugim ljudima, jer tako ce nas svi voleti

• emocionalno otupeljenje

• prekovremeni rad da bismo pokazali i dokazali svoju vrednost

• pretvaranje da je sve u redu, jer onda nam niko ne moz nista zameriti

Ove navike mogu da nam daju privremeni osećaj sigurnosti, ali nas udaljavaju od nas samih i drugih. Ranjivost zahteva drugačiji pristup — iskrenost, prisutnost i prihvatanje sebe. Ona nas uči da vredimo ljubav i pripadanje upravo onakvi kakvi jesmo.

Suočavanje sa strahom

Naravno, prihvatanje ranjivosti nije lako. Ona nosi nesigurnost i emocionalno izlaganje, kao i rizik da budemo pogrešno shvaćeni ili odbijeni. Brené Brown nas podseća da je taj rizik neophodan. Bez ranjivosti ne postoji prava ljubav, radost niti pripadanje.

Priznavanjem svojih strahova, a ne bežanjem od njih, počinjemo da uklanjamo barijere koje nas sprečavaju da budemo autentični.

Dakle…

Ranjivost nije mana — ona je najveći izvor naše autentičnosti. Ona je dar!

Dozvoljavanjem sebi da budemo empatični i vidljivi, otvaramo vrata dubljim odnosima i smislenijem životu.

Ako još niste istražili rad Brené Brown, ovo je znak da počnete.