Why Is It So Hard To Be Vulnerable?

Being Vulnerable means opening our hearts and showing the parts of ourselves we usually keep hidden. Yet for many of us, that openness feels terrifying. We've learned to protect ourselves from judgment, rejection, or pain. True strength often lies in softness- in letting ourselves be seen, even when we're scared.

Vulnerability asks us to trust that our truth is enough and that we can share our feelings and still be loved. It's not weakness, it's courage in its most human form.

Transcript

Hi,

My name is Kathy and I'm really glad that you could join me.

Why is it so hard to be vulnerable?

Just to let you know,

When I'm asking this question,

I'm really speaking to myself.

I'm noticing in my body what happens when I say the word vulnerable.

I feel a knot in my stomach.

My heart rate is increasing and my shoulders are tensing up.

Maybe you can relate to that.

Being vulnerable is hard because it asks us to show who we really are.

Not the version we think people want.

Not the one that feels safest to show.

But the true,

Unguarded self that lives beneath all our masks.

Vulnerability means stepping into the unknown.

It means saying,

Here I am,

Without any guarantee of how others will respond.

And that's scary.

Because deep down,

We all want to be accepted.

To be understood.

To belong.

Many of us learned early on that being open could lead to hurt.

I know I did.

That sharing too much might invite judgment,

Rejection or disappointment.

So our nervous system built walls and those walls became our protection.

But now it feels like a prison.

The truth is,

Vulnerability and connection live in the same place.

You can't have one without the other.

When you allow yourself to be seen,

You create the possibility of love,

Empathy and understanding.

Vulnerability isn't weakness.

It's courage in its purest form.

It's saying,

Even if I'm afraid,

I choose to be real.

So maybe next time your heart feels like it's closing,

Take a gentle breath and whisper to yourself.

It's safe to be me.

You don't have to share everything.

You don't have to rush.

But every small act of honesty,

Every moment you let down your guard,

Brings you closer to your true self.

Because the world doesn't need our perfection.

It needs our presence,

Our truth,

Our humanity.

Thank you.

Reviews

This was wonderful Cathy!
Very inspiring. Thank you 🙏🏻

Thank you Cathy loved this one as wel 🙏🏽🌺. The sound of your voice is also very nice. And your message was also well said. No more Words needed.

I really liked the sentiment in this track, it's something I've been working on for a wee while.
A few months ago I caught up with an old school friend now living in Australia, I hadn't talked to him in 35 years!. I saw him on facebook and said hello. And we went back and forth saying what we were up too, the usual kids are doing really well etc, then I thought, why am I only talking about the good stuff? So I mentioned I'd had bad depression in my 30's and left work because if it and so on. And it ended up being a really good " real" conversation, he'd been through 2 messy divorces and so on. I was so glad I opened up. So I love that you made a track about this issue.
Nice one Cathy 👍 😊🙏