We, human beings, are skilled at developing all sorts of automatic numbing escapist strategies to forget what makes us feel uncomfortable.
TV series, video games, electronic devices, day-dreams, shopping, food, alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, strong opinions, strong emotions, anger, drama, even physical exercise and organic dark chocolate can become numbing habits to not feel: weak, uncertain, sad, powerless, embarrassed, shamed, regretful and just plain vulnerable.
While our numbing habits give us the illusion of forgetting our discomfort, they are in fact undermining our ground and a sense of connection to ourselves and others.
Although vulnerability makes us feel groundless too, embraced vulnerability and shared vulnerability make us feel grounded. It is common that team members experience more solidity and safety when they express their vulnerability to each other.
SO – vulnerability is a word full of paradoxes, but it is definitively not a word we want to forget!
Reflective questions: What makes you feel vulnerable? What are the automatic habits and reactions that you use to cover your vulnerability?