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Everyone has had that moment when they are overwhelmed with life and want to hide from the world. But there’s a difference between being alone and living a lonely existence. It’s one thing if you need to sit with your feelings and work through them, but it’s an entirely different thing to stay indefinitely in that place and not to ask for help when you need it the most.
Playing the shame game
If the darkness is a self-isolating and depressing state, then why do so many people choose to stay there? The fact is, familiarity breeds comfort, and when you are overcome with emotion and retreat into a corner, it’s all too easy to get stuck in an unhealthy pattern of pushing people away. But when you feel like it’s you against the world, you come from a place of fear.
Imagine holding a tiny candle in a darkened room, but there’s a cold breeze blowing through the open window. Your candle is flickering precariously, and with a sense of foreboding, you know that when your candle goes out, you’ll be left alone in the dreaded dark. Yet it takes courage to admit you can’t do it alone. Even more, it takes vulnerability and, for many people, they feel a sense of deep shame to admit defeat.
The power of vulnerability
The truth is, vulnerability does not equal weakness. When you drop the mask that shields your true self from the world, you show more courage than the next person who spends their entire life struggling just to keep their candle flame from being extinguished. When you have that first awkward conversation and ask for help, it can very well be the most courageous thing that you ever do. Vulnerability helps you:
- Step into your authenticity
- Have deeper, more intimate relationships
- show that you are strong enough to ask for help
- Inspire others to follow your example
The truth is, you have a light inside of you that the world needs to see. When you share your vulnerability with others, your light shines all the brighter. After all, it only takes one candle to light a thousand.
