Co-Creative Mentoring LLC Sheryl Harrell, MAA.B.S., EFT Cert.
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Do You Have the Courage to be Vulnerable?

4/30/2021

 
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation,
 creativity, and change.
                                                                     Brene' Brown                                                    

Spring greetings from the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains! I

love celebrating Mother Earth--our sacred planet that gives,

nurtures and sustains our lives. Earth Day was celebrated on

April 22, followed by  Arbor Day (in honor of sacred trees),

which falls on the last Friday in April.


Doesn't it seem a little silly to celebrate Earth Day or sacred

trees on only one day a year? Is setting aside one day to

celebrate, appreciate, and respect the natural world enough?

I'm thinking we need more...dedicated time everyday to

disconnect from the chaos and bask in the healing that comes

when we connect with the natural world.   


If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you

know that aligning with the rhythms of nature, the

transformational energy of the seasons that nurture personal

growth and well-being, is my passion. Beginning in January with

the centering energy of Silence, we've explored Reflection and

Awakening, each month embracing inner and outer energy

shifts.  This is the time for opening to new possibilities by

creating rituals, connecting with nature,  and enjoying the

wonderful spring-time energy.


Just like the seeds in the soil, your vision, your dreams, your

intentions for this year are emerging. Right now, your energy is

rising. It's seeking to be expressed in the physical world. Just

like in nature, you have the amazing ability to bring forth new

life, new creations in beautiful and stunning ways. It's important

to honor this inner and outer force of nature that invites you to

be more visible in the world.
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So, whether you’re feeling focused, and on your path toward

Oneness - or maybe a bit off-kilter, scattered, and disconnected

- one thing’s for sure: We’re riding an evolutionary tidal wave

that feels both exhilarating and soul-inspiring... and also may

feel chaotic, confusing, and disorienting. Life-altering shifts are

happening on all levels - personally and collectively.  We may

feel energized or want to retreat...


We're all at different points in our evolution of consciousness.

Some of us feel comfortable with expressing ourselves and

allowing ourselves to shine in the world. Others of us feel ready,

but something is holding us back: Old beliefs? Fears?

Resistance? No matter where you are at this point on your

journey toward Oneness--it takes courage to allow your tender

new dreams to burst forth. It takes courage to put yourself out

there where others might judge you. I know this from

experience! But when your heart tells you that it's time to be

more visible in the world, there's little you can do besides

answer the call to show up and be seen.


This is a really meaningful time to ask yourself:


How do I want to grow in the coming weeks & months?


What do I want to harvest this year?


And...

What if the timing for putting yourself, your vision, your

intentions out there doesn't feel right? Doesn't feel safe?


Do you have the courage to allow yourself to be vulnerable?




The Paradox of Vulnerability


Vulnerability.  Do you equate it with being naive, gullible and

worst of all, weak? Who wants to get hurt?  Who wants to be

exposed to the changes and challenges that are out of our

control? The answer … very few of us!


We are all vulnerable no matter how hard we try not to be or

how much we want to be in control. But resisting vulnerability

(and the feelings that come with it) is not a helpful mindset for

growth.



Dr. Brené Brown, a well-known research professor and

consultant,  has spent the past two decades studying courage,

vulnerability, shame, and empathy.  Since her first
TEDeX talk

in 2010, The Power of Vulnerability
, she has continued her

research into vulnerability. Her insights include busting the myth

that vulnerability is weakness. Also, understanding the

connection between vulnerability and courage means healing

shame. In order to be seen in the world, we need to accept and

embrace the concept of failure as a natural part of the pathway

to progress and silence the inner critic that wants us to be small

and stay safe. She has so much wisdom to offer about

vulnerability. We're lightly touching the concept in this blog. If

you haven't explored her work, I highly recommend that you do.



Vulnerability is a very puzzling part of our human experience. 

We hide it from ourselves; we don’t want it. And, it's vital for our

evolution of consciousness. The truth is, vulnerability does

make us more susceptible to hurt, heartbreak and

disappointment – there’s no denying that!  But without allowing

ourselves to be vulnerable we can’t experience the joy of life,

we can’t be our authentic selves.



Opening to Vulnerability

Embracing vulnerability, as I've discovered, opens many doors

of opportunity.  For example, without vulnerability, I never would

have been able to listen to my intuition, to co-create mandalas

or write this blog, or learn from what it feels like to be exposed

and feel empathy towards others, or connect with so many

wonderful people.


To be vulnerable is to be courageous even in the face of fear.

When I resist or deny my vulnerability I close myself off to life

and all of its opportunities out of fear, not strength; I miss out on

deep connections with others; I'm not authentic or honest with

myself.


Being vulnerable is really scary, something I equate with  giving

a speech, naked, in front of a group with the words “laugh at

me” painted on my forehead.  In all it's different forms,  this fear,

this need to stay small and safe,  is the same for almost all of

us. 


And, it's comforting to know--we're not alone.  It takes courage

to allow ourselves to be vulnerable.


Courage, the original definition of courage, when it first came into the English language — it’s from the Latin word cor, meaning heart — and the original definition was to tell the story of who you are
with your whole heart.
                                                              Brene' Brown

In the midst of fear and uncertainty--where we feel most

vulnerable,  it may seem impossible to find our ground. Yet, the

feelings we want to avoid the most can open the way to

fearlessness, our basic goodness,  true freedom and Oneness

even in the face of our most difficult inner and outer challenges.

Vulnerability shows us the way back to our wisest and most

heartful selves, to our wholeheartedness. It takes a lot of

courage to consider that uncertainty is not a threat, that in fact

it’s creative and powerful.



Cultivating Courage: Embracing Vulnerability

Like me, you might be still learning how to embrace

vulnerability, and wondering how to align your energy with

courage so that you can be wholehearted in your life.  If you are,

you may benefit from what I have learnt so far and continue to

practice:



1. Cultivate self-love, self-compassion, and self-acceptance--

even n the face of the inner critic or limiting beliefs. When you're

willing to love and accept all parts of yourself you raise your

vibration, your confidence grows from the inside out, and you

stop relying on how others see you to make you feel good about

yourself. The confidence grows in the knowledge that you will

be there for yourself always, come what may. Trust in your own

goodness.


2. Find the stillness, silence, and space within your inner storms

so that you can act rather than react. All well-being practices,

including time in  the natural world--remind you of the stillness,

the silence within. When we meditate, when we connect with

stillness, with silence, we meet ourselves and we discover our

true self in the presence that is here and now. The more time,

energy, and intention you invest in connecting with your inner

silence the more the silence grows and the more you feel

silence all around you. Many studies show and my

experience reveals that being in nature heals.
The smell of

the earth, the sounds of birds or water, the sight of trees

swaying in the wind, the feel of grass under our feet, or waves

crashing on the shore  (if you're fortunate enough to live close to

water) make our senses come alive. This connection to the

natural world invites mindfulness and being in the moment--a

sense of experiencing something greater than our self--our

Wholeness from which courage emerges.



3. Feel all your feelings. The feelings that we want to run from

offer us the very fuel we need to grow self-acceptance, self-

love,  self-compassion, and empathy. Honoring all of our felt

experiences—positive and negative—is a direct path to

courage. Being curious about vulnerability teaches us authentic

courage. Instead of banishing fear, or making ourselves wrong

for feeling vulnerable--allowing ourselves to go into fear and

deeply feel it is the way to become courageous.

When you learn to smile at your fear, to be with your fear, you become an authentic friend to yourself, and thereby develop confidence.
                                                  
Pema Chodron
4. Make connections; ask for help; encourage others. It takes

courage to let others see us when we're at our most vulnerable.

When you need help, remember you're not alone, so take the

risk and ask for it.  When life gets turbulent, we tend to close our

eyes and collapse inward and get really quiet (old patterns that

once served to keep us safe, but are no longer useful for our

evolution of consciousness).  Look around, open up, put

yourself out there, and ask for help. Trust the goodness of

people. Healing happens when we take the risk of being honest

and authentic with ourselves and people we trust. It occurs to

me that even if it is not always easy to love ourselves, we are

good at loving others. Isn’t it usually true that we are often better

at caring for others than we are at caring for ourselves? That's a

gift we can give to ourselves, too. When we en-courage others,

we also build our own "courage muscles".



How often do you tell yourself – “I just need a little courage” or “I

wish I had more courage”, then you move whatever it is that you

were dreaming of doing to the back burner? Ever wonder how to

shift your energy when you need a boost to your courage? You

can shift and access energy that will support your dreams,

desires and give you access to resources and people who can

help you move into the unknown.


When we take good care of our energy field, we learn to restore

flow where there's  constriction. It's like being held in loving,

protective arms where it's harder to hang on to any old

habitual feelings of fear.


Here's a simple, powerful practice to bring your energy into

alignment:


Put one hand on your chest, on your sternum, and spread out

your fingers. Bring the other hand up to rest with your palm on

the top of the other hand, and lightly hold your thumb with all

five fingers. Pause and breathe. Continuing to hold this position,

let your attention wander to anything you have been worrying

about. You are not trying to fix anything. You are just creating a

spaciousness around your worries, a landing place. Stay here

for a while. Notice how you feel inside.  



The natural world is blooming & growing, and life is thriving.

Right now, we can use this powerful growth energy to allow our

intentions to emerge and grow. 
This is a time of pure potential.

Anything is possible in your life right now. This Co-Creative

Mandala, "Courage", from a photograph of Iris (symbols

of courage)
  reminds us to embrace vulnerability.  Your work

right now is to trust your goodness, trust the goodness of others,

and remember that the Universe wants you to thrive.

Picture
Embrace the unknown; welcome the uncertainty.
Feel your deep connection to the natural world.
Realize your greatest potential.

                                                                            
Courage Exercise:

In this simple, yet powerful exercise, I invite you to celebrate

"Courage" and feel supported by your inner and outer

resources.  Honor this powerful time of uncertainty.


Intention:


This is a special opportunity to reflect on the powerful energy,

within you and as it's reflected in nature.



Give yourself plenty of time without interruptions to dive

deeply into this exercise. Meditate, journal, create and bless   

your sacred space.


Make this exercise your own. Invest your time and attention.


Don’t rush.
 

As you sit quietly in your space, light a candle that welcomes

'Courage'. 



In a moment, when you are done reading through the

instructions, write everything that the Co-Creative

Mandala-'Courage' makes you think of. Write how you feel

when you look at it. Write about what the associated chakras

represent (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, third eye and crown)

and how that might be applicable to your journey toward

Oneness this year.



Close your eyes. Bring your awareness to your breath; just be

with your breath. Take a deep breath in. Breathe out. Take

another deep breath in. Breathe out. Notice the sensations as

you exhale—without judgement.  Feel the body breathing. Bring

your body into stillness.


Open your eyes and bring your attention to the 'Courage'

mandala; allow the mandala energy to fill your heart; be with

whatever is there.


Invest a few minutes toward allowing the 'Courage' energy to

flow to and through your body.  Imagine that energy bursting

through your crown chakra and extending far into the heavens.


Imagine the 'Courage' energy flowing through you and down

deep into the earth. Imagine it radiating from your heart and

extending out in front of you and behind you. Imagine the

'Courage' energy is a radiant ball that encircles you.


Now, sit with this energy for a few minutes.

 
What about the 'Courage' mandala captures your attention?


Notice and Wonder--Something in me is feeling...


I wonder what it wants me to know?
 

Relax into your body and its quietness. Be with the energy, be

present, listen.



Here's the ritual:

Grab your journal & spend some time in self-reflection at this

powerful seasonal time.

Here are some wonderful questions to ask yourself at this time

of year …



1. Begin by reflecting on the following questions:

  • What is bringing you great joy right now?
  • What currently lights up your spirit? What do you feel inspired to devote your spring energy toward?
  • What parts of yourself do you feel most confident about?
  • Where do you need to boost your self-confidence?


2. Read what you've written:

Read out loud what you wrote in response to the questions

above.




3. Ask for support:

In whatever words come to you, ask for support from the

Universe/God/Goddess/Guides–whatever Higher Power calls to

you in this moment.


Think of people you trust to share your wholehearted truth with.




 4. Give thanks:

Thank whatever Higher Power you call on, for bringing your

dreams to life. Say thanks as though your dream has already

come true. (Because it HAS, you’re simply calling it into your

life.)


Don’t worry about getting the words perfect, or saying the exact

right thing. Just say whatever comes to your mind & your heart.

It’s okay if it feels awkward & clunky. (Remember: Having the

Courage to be vulnerable is messy and takes practice!)


5. Reread your words often:

As often as possible, read your words. Continue to do this

ritual as often as you are called to during the spring months.

Allow your vision, your intentions evolve and change. Allow

yourself to "dare greatly".



I invite you to celebrate new life and your emerging dreams!

Enjoy riding the current of life birthing, awakening, and opening

to the new possibilities that are here to be felt and experienced!



Peace and joy to your seeking heart,

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    Author

    Sheryl Harrell, Gardener
    of the Soil and of the
    Soul & Co-Creator of
    Mandalas. Happy you
    found my Blog!

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