Letting go of the reins- Vulnerability

For years I know I have tried to make myself as bulletproof as possible. Both in work, home and play. An approach to life similar to that of being a clock. Always dependable, never skipping a beat and like any good machine, always ready to be used whenever called upon. However, it has not worked. Vulnerability was about to creep up on me.

I came to a very obvious realisation over the past week that I still break. It is laughable now however, both business wise and personally I’ve had plenty of lessons: ending up in hospital after a bike crash, a severe battle with anaemia, being forced to relocate an office, losing business partners, about 4 race DNF’s and to recently having to cancel my daughters 1st birthday party (I was too sick to even host it). It’s taken me a while, but apparently there is a fair few holes in my armoury. I realised I had to let go of my bulletproof image, drop the shield and to not just ask for help, but also to happily take it too. I had to reach out to others and in asking I was about as vulnerable as I could be. I felt like I was sitting on the branch of a tree and I had no idea how to get down.

In reading a beautifully written book by Brene Brown, Daring Greatly, I have realised it is ok to ask for help. To put myself out there and say, “this is me; wounds, scars, faults and all.” There is no facade, it is me. My question to you is what image are you portraying to the world? Is it the true you or are you wearing a mask too?

Personally I pride myself being a pretty straight shooter. I don’t sugar coat things too well and have been told that I have the subtleness of a bowling ball more than once in  my life. My number one rule in life that I personally live by is to “do what I’ll say I do when I say I’ll do it.”  That can put me on a ledge in more ways than one and it can unintentionally offend others. In a lot of ways that is already rather exposed.

However, I have come to embrace the fact that this is me. What rules do you live by? Have you embraced what truly matters to you or are you frustrated in trying to conform to a world that just is not you? Frank Costello said it best in The Departed, “I don’t want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me.”

What can you do to embrace Vulnerability? These are a few of the big lessons that I have already taken on board and I hope you do too:

This is me at my rawest and most exposed. However, being honest I feel so much better, like a weight has been lifted by doing it.

Personally, I’ll be embracing the help of coaches both in business and health, while leaning on friends and family. I’m dropping my lone wolf cloak. If you have any questions or examples of how you embrace your vulnerability please write below.

Finally, in accepting I don’t have all the answers- in the office if you know anybody or can think of a great use for our beautiful “gym room”  it’s 5.1m x 3.2m. I’m open to all ideas (and I definitely don’t have the answer)…