Being Vulnerable

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I believe there is no single way of defining if someone is vulnerable.


If we look at public services, there has been a shift away from defining vulnerability based on personal characteristics to a focus on the circumstances that make an individual vulnerable and the support required. 
Someone may be vulnerable if in receipt of social care or even while in hospital, if disabled, with a long-term health problem, in a domestic abuse situation, or someone who becomes homeless or if their home is flooded.  The circumstances around being vulnerable may not always be long-term.
Vulnerability has never been my strong suit. In order to be vulnerable, I needed to be OK with me, That’s the thing about vulnerability that no one tells you about.
Being vulnerable is not just about showing the parts of me that are shiny, pretty or even fun. It’s more about revealing what I deny or keep hidden from others.  
I had to love everything about me, if I wanted to be vulnerable by choice.  I believe the stakes of vulnerability are high.
My grandfather always said “You can be a bitch and work your way down to nice, but you can’t be nice and work your way up to being strong.”
Over the years, I have stuck to this.  I have continued to experience vulnerability. I cannot say that all my experiences have come through choice, but I do try to enter the state of vulnerability as much as I can.  Being vulnerable became easier to deal with the more I worked on me, I had to get to this point and knew I wasn't there as I still worried about what people thought of me.  
Thank goodness life continues to offer me opportunities to consciously choose openness, around 50% of the time I do.  When, I have chosen to be open, I can honestly say that I have experienced true connection and this is imeasurable. 

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