"Anything we fear to lose - a home, a car, an attractive body, an agile mind, a deep belief - is a symbol of external power. What we fear is an increase in our vulnerability. This results in seeing power as external." Gary Zukav, Seat of the Soul.
The sentence about fearing an increase in our vulnerability really struck me. Somehow I believe all choices boil down to this sentence.
It isn't the actual change we fear, but the way it will open ourselves up to being vulnerable once again. And the more you explore and peel back layers of your self, the more wide open you will feel.
I had to go and look up the definition of Vulnerable.
"Susceptible to physical or emotional injury." I was shocked to read that. Are you not more susceptible to physical and emotional injury IN an Absive relationship, then if we were out?
Yet, we fight or resist being vulnerable and in doing so you are more vulnerable while in those relationships, than working your way out.
Another meaning was, "Open to attack, damage, assailable, vulnerable to critism, exposed."
Again, it strikes me as not the meaning of vulnerable. I thought vulnerable was to be wide open and soft. Yet this meaning seems to be about opening yourself up for attack.
No wonder no one wants to be vulnerable.
I can see the two sides of vulnerablitiy. However, just because you are wide open and exposed, it doesn't mean you will be attacked. To me, exploring the depths of abuse have made me wise to knowing what is abusive and what is not.
The definitions of vulnerability also seem to come into play as you are trying to leave dysfunction; attacking and critism of your new ways.
Very interesting to feel the wide scope of being Vulnerable.
I feel more vulnerable; open, free and exposed and feel that is my greatest strength. I no longer fear being vulnerable. I fear being closed up.
