Vulnerability
Vulnerability can be the most challenging and misunderstood color in the Life Artist color palette. Many of us believe that vulnerability is a weakness and that we’ll be judged harshly for how we feel. Vulnerability is a color that engages our Heart intelligence and builds on the primary heart color of courage, so it’s in truth far less about weakness and more about being real and having the courage to express our feelings authentically.
There is no question that to be vulnerable is exposing, and for many of us this color is dangerous because it’s about intimacy. Intimacy with ourselves and others is hard, and yet the capacity to be vulnerable is one of the most precious gifts Heart intelligence has to offer us. This is perhaps why the French word for heart is “coeur.” When we neglect or avoid vulnerability, we often create outcomes that result form having skipped the beat of our Heart intelligence and having undermined our self-trust and trust with others.
Just today, I found that I had a judgment toward myself for longing for someone special in my life. I felt the feeling rise up and deemed it self-indulgent; I immediately labeled myself victim. As I explored further, however, I saw that my Con Artist was definitely in the hood rather than my Life Artist! I made the choice to embrace my longing, which allowed me to see the needs and depth of my Heart intelligence. I allowed my longing to take me to a deeper emotional truth of disappointment and letting go.
In expressing my vulnerability to a friend, I elevated my self-trust by honoring my feelings and recognizing who I truly connect with in the “coeur.” I was freer to move on and let go of hoping that others who are unavailable in their Heart intelligence might meet me in the ways I wish. We don’t just avoid the so-call “darker” feelings, we also avoid feeling the lighter feelings—like elation over a success, and many other shades in between.
Think about the feeling you most avoid and what gift it may have for you in your life right now. Take the time to explore your Heart intelligence as a pathway to greater authenticity and connection. Then build your self-trust by having the courage to share your vulnerability with someone you care about in your life today. You will be giving yourself and them the gift of intimacy.