Personal Growth
Vulnerability
Not weakness
Vulnerability, in personal growth, is the willingness to open up emotionally and be genuine, even if it risks being seen as weak.
It's a strength that fosters connections, self-awareness, and empathy.
Embracing vulnerability allows for personal growth by enabling honest self-examination, meaningful relationships, and the courage to face challenges.
It's a powerful tool for self-improvement and should not be confused with weakness.
The power of vulnerability
The importance of vulnerability
Extract from: Owning our Struggles by Minaa B. 2023
Myths about what it means to be strong;
- Pretending to have it all together when you don't
- Presenting yourself as perfect over being human
- Suppressing your emotions and lacking vulnerability
- Putting other people's needs before your own
- Fixing and saving other people from theory problems
- Pretending to be unaffected by adversity and pushing through without complaints
- Having tough skin in dealing with problematic behavior instead of setting boundaries.
What its really like to be strong:
- Admitting when you don't know something
- Admitting that you need help and asking for it
- Allowing yourself to feel all your emotions, not just the good ones
- Allowing yourself to cry if you need to
- Pushing through adversity while simultaneously acknowledging the hurt that comes with it
- Being vulnerable and learning from others
Handouts: Home Improvement: Men in Relationship Jan 2024
A full apology
Often when there is a cycle of abusive behavior the person who does the harm feels guilty and sorry for their behavior and usually apologizes.
Often it is not received well by the person who has been harmed, possibly because the person has heard “im sorry” over and over and ' ‘I'm sorry” comes to mean very little to them.
The apology might be sincere, but it is not likely to be received well, unless there is a real plan for how the behavior will not reoccur.
There needs to be more than just saying sorry.
There needs to be a full apology.
A full apology has three steps:
Step 1: ‘Here is what I did that I regret” Specifics are helpful. Vagueness is not.
Step 2 : “Here is what I'm doing so this never happens again”
What can be done to create emotional and physical safety for your partner?
Accountability with a counselor or a trusted friend can be a helpful step.
Step 3: “Is there something you need from me right now?”
She may need you to leave for a while and this may be difficult.
She may have difficulty accepting the apology if she has heard lots of “I'm sorry's” in the past.
This requires patience and empathy on your part.
So many ‘ifs’
Too many ‘whens’
Too many ‘sorrys’
And never ‘agains’
Too many ‘lies’
Too many ‘one more tries’
How many were there
Before I knew
That ‘action’ speaks louder
Than ‘promises’ do?
Apology mistakes:
Not being genuine
Body language doesn't match verbal message
Waiting for the ’right’ moment
Expecting immediate and total forgiveness
Apologizing too much
Not giving a full apology
Disclaimer:
This website is for information only. It represents the unproven opinions / thoughts of various authors or collaborating partners.
This website and its content is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical or counselling advice.
PeaceBuilders Network and/ or associate organizations specifically disclaim any and all liability contained in or linked to this website.
A health-care professional should be consulted regarding your specific medical condition.
If you have a medical, mental health or other emergency, then reach out to the local emergency services helpline or hospital.
Copyright:
The contents of this website is subject to licencing and copyright. All rights reserved.
All webpages and all artwork has been minted as NFTs for exclusive use by PeaceBuilders Network and/ or their representatives.
No part of this website or content may be used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of PeaceBuilders Network and/ or their representatives, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.
Updated: November 2023
Related Topics
Find Other Topics
General Information
Trending TopicsFind a category...
PeaceBuilding@home Connecting Ready or Not? Our Struggles Coping Self-Reflection 7 Principles of living Conflict Life Transitions Mental Wellness Development Inner Exploration Personal Growth Community Taking Action Local PeaceBuilders Programs PeaceBuilders Network PeaceBuilders Network Book Resources General Book Resources ContactFind a topic...
Parenting & Co-parenting Love Site information Why PeaceBuilders? Accountability Collective wisdom Communication Criticism Death Defensiveness Feelings Framing Friends Jealousy Life {love} bites Meditation Re-invention Relationships Secrets & lies Self-care tools The foundation Your story Local PeaceBuilders Alone Anger management Boundaries Contempt Denial Divorce Failure Friends help friends Inter-dependence Kindness Life changes Life's Journey Loneliness PeaceBuilder David Respect Self-determination Smile More Triggers Vulnerability Bargaining Change Step 1 Compassion Conflict management Courage Depression Difficult decisions Emotional Pain Gratitude Habits Hubris Imagining Immigration Mediation New Beginnings PeaceBuilder Sam Real men do cry Relaxation time Spirituality Stonewalling Stuck Abuse / hurting Acceptance Addictions Change Step 2 Community Control Culture Curiosity Disappointment Exploring Fear Health choices Honesty / trust Local Dads Pride Responsibility Separation Success Treasures Beliefs Brainstorming Change Step 3 Grief Guilt vs Shame Happiness Hope Humility Identity Mastering Plan ahead Power Relationship Pies Resilience Self - love Self-management Storytelling Team Activity AI Belonging Change Step 4 Emotional health Forgiveness Goals Healing Justice vs Truth Life's Purpose Listening Motivation Networking Services Next steps Normalizing Older adults Our Art Collection Playing Regret Sex & Dating (again) Values & strengths Empathy Shock Stress / Anxiety VolunteeringConnect Locally
Featured Services
Wellness Together Canada
PeaceBuildersNetwork.org hopes to connect all our local communities, programs and services.
Click here to log in to the dashboard.
Log InIf you are a service manager and would like to register and manage your service, click here to create a membership account.
Create AccountSuccess Stories
I found local programs that I did not know existed. Thanks to the PeaceBuilders Network
- Tim, Chilliwack, BC, Canada
Success Stories
PeaceBuilders Network is a very useful relationship building tool covering so many important topics!
- Owen, Coquitlam, BC, Canada