Letting Go and Finding Your Yes

Understanding the power of vulnerability and the strength in positivity

It’s a dirty trick we’ve played on ourselves over the years: In the media, in the home, and in public we extoll the virtues of being tough. Toughness has been portrayed as battling through and suffering silently while life swirls around you. Those who remain silent are praised and idolized, further perpetrating the notion that in order to be respected, you need to be tough – and in order to be tough, you need to be silent.

This notion and reverence for ‘toughness’ has made it difficult for those who are suffering to speak up. The shame and fear of rejection has kept countless individuals hidden and hurting, and studies have shown time after time that people who are hurting are more likely to hurt others. The burden of toughness fosters an energy that is negative and destructive, one that self-perpetuates and grows. It is the killer of hope, of dreams, and of potential.

The truth of the matter, however, is that true toughness does not live in silence. True bravery and fortitude lives within the spaces of vulnerability and honesty. By opening ourselves up to our pain and rewiring our lives to find peace, we are able to create an existence that is fulfilling, positive, and promising. Facing our truths and our pain can be frightening – and asking for help or admitting your struggles comes from a place of strength completely foreign to so many.

Create the space for vulnerability in your life. Look your pain in the eyes and speak its impact out loud. Free yourself from the bonds of toughness and embrace a life of possibility and positivity through open and honest communication and acceptance.