Blazing the Trail of Vulnerability

Has someone ever said something to you that you had a hard time believing? You take a double-take at their message or you squint your eyes at them in confusion. Your eyes grow wide in disbelief as their shocking words wash over you. Me too. In fact, this has been happening to me a lot lately.

Vulnerable.
Authentic.
Transparent.

These are words I never thought would describe me and my writing, and yet, in the past few weeks, that’s exactly what people have been saying. And it’s all as a result of the Lord.

For the majority of my life, the goal for my future was to get as close to perfection as I possibly could. I was hyper-focused on this need to achieve and be all of these various things. But, in order to become all I wanted to be, I was certain I would never be able to be the weird, quirky, awkward me that’s lurking below the facade of control. All of that would have to be covered up and locked away securely. Put-together and perfect Sarah was going to be seen and known because that’s who people would want to follow. I believed that showing any moment or sign of weakness would disqualify me from being successful or influential.

But I was incredibly wrong.

It turns out that realness attracts realness. And, if I want to help others learn how to be real and honest and live a free and full life, I have to go first. In order to help people connect with God, themselves, and others, I have to remove my “perfect” facade and show the real me, flaws and all. 

And I’ve seen some incredible growth in the process. Sure, I’ve grown, but the best part of this whole thing is that others have had the courage to take a step as well.

I don’t say this to toot my own horn, because there are so many before me who have been honest and open and vulnerable who have shown me to the way. I have spoken with them, listened to them speak, read their words, viewed their posts, and watched their videos and they have encouraged me to go deeper.

So thank you, friends, fellow bloggers, incredible authors, powerful speakers, and sweet mentors for showing me that there’s more to life than just maintaining perfection. I’m immensely grateful that you’ve led the way for me to honestly and openly express myself, revealing the hard stuff of life and the goodness of God. Thank you for going first when you got little or no reciprocity from me.

With all of this in mind, I want to encourage you, no matter where you’re at in life, what you’re doing, or what your circumstances currently look like, to take a little step of vulnerability today. It could be the littlest baby step in the world, but you never know what it might do in the heart of someone else. You could share your story, encourage someone with a struggle you’re currently walking through, or honestly confess a struggle to a trusted person.

I’m learning that vulnerability begets vulnerability.

Today, let’s be honest and transparent in safe spaces and see what happens!

To go Deeper: Watch Face to Face
Read Dismantling Perfection