Sharing Vulnerability
Sharing vulnerability seems to be taboo for so many. It’s an exchange I’ve had countless times around - why, what, how to show up with our sensitivities on our sleeves rather than concealed behind layers of trauma?
It’s an ideology that suggests the heart opens in magnificent ways when we start sharing more of what is on our heart and less from our ego.
But the big question remains - how do we get out of the rut that society, our upbringing, the high school bully, the workplace chum, the judging pastor, our parents, those so called “friends”, our peers have placed on us?
How do we escape that excruciating fear of judgment? How do we evade blame and shame and present our vulnerabilities as an expression of power and strength rather than weakness and insecurity?
And if it weren't obvious, I'll point out the elephant in the room - how do men in particular do this? How do women do this with men? What would this mean for society, for our closest relationships? How would our world look different, lighter, softer, more accepting, more open, safer?
How could a sensitive man show up with his heart on his sleeve and present as powerful, confident, strong, admirable, attractive even, loving, kind, gentler, braver, courageous, and untouchable?
Well, this is exactly how he'd appear to anyone who's interested in real dialogue, in meaningful exchanges that cut to the core, that deepen bonds and level us up as heart-centered beings that are here to connect in this profound way rather than engage in those tired exchanges laced with superficiality.
And this is exactly the exchange I had with Jason Lang on the Blossom Your Awesome Podcast - a man's man, so to speak, who struggled to deal with his own emotional baggage that would rear its ugly, untamed head in awful, unproductive, and unexpected ways, until he discovered a men's group. Since those formative early years of awakening healing and profundity from deep within, Jason has now for many years been leading men's groups. He's the founder of Evolutionary Men, facilitating camaraderie and safety in rooms full of tensely guarded men wound up with testosterone who for decades have had no truly productive and safe place to go to openly express their vulnerabilities. Of course, there's the gym and the bike, and the basketball and all of those physical things, but to unearth what’s brewing beneath the surface with words and tissues rather than sweat and stinky towels is an alchemical process.
He helps men open up those old, sour wounds that keep them from heart-filled conversations that are full of warmth, thoughtfulness, care, and elevation.
It’s a beautiful exchange and to say I was left touched and moved deeply would be putting it mildly. Listen in to the entire conversation for all of Jason’s powerful insights.