Now don’t get me wrong; social media is great. However,
naturally we have the tendency to use it as a showcase for the great stuff that
is going on in our lives. It’s a place where accolades and achievements are
shared, dressing up to look our best and nights out with friends are exposed
and the highlights of travel adventures are boasted. Though there’s nothing
wrong with these things – we have to be aware that we’re building a culture
that hides behind the mask of social media.
Something that’s been
challenging yet encouraging to me recently is the power in our vulnerability.
We live in a vulnerable world thus in-turn we numb
vulnerability. We selectively numb certain emotions (such as fear, sadness,
shame); but when we do, we numb everything (joy, love, peace). It’s a mask we wear
to depict perfection.
Let’s break through this mask. Let’s wear a cloak of
vulnerability. Let’s be authentic. Let’s be REAL.
Let’s have the courage to be imperfect. Let’s let go of who
we think we should be, to be who we truly are and stop trying to live up to this
ideal of perfection in a broken world. No one is perfect and everyone is wired
for struggle, but we are worthy of love and belonging. Let’s have courage in owning who we are and actually
LOVING that.
The beauty of who you really are shines through in your
brokenness.
Vulnerability is not weakness.
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Brene Brown has done heaps of research into vulnerability
and found that the ‘whole-hearted’ live in vulnerability which makes them feel
embraced, beautiful, necessary. This vulnerability is the birthplace of joy,
creativity, love and worth.
Vulnerability is at the core to transformation.
Let’s create a shift in the cultural norms.
Stepping out in vulnerability is pretty petrifying –
standing up in Church and telling part of my story (oh and for the online
download world) made me feel incredibly vulnerable, it’s allowing ourselves to
be truly deeply seen, it’s owning who we truly are. We have to break the patterns of avoiding being truly seen for fear of how we will be received.
So I am going to pursue
vulnerability. I am going to try to be openly broken, authentic and real in the
fallen world that we live in. Because, through this choice to be vulnerable I
have faith that God will show his almighty, powerful, healing strength; and
it’s all about his glory.
Hold me accountable!
I’ll keep you posted.
I love this Jessie! This is exactly exactly how I was feeling a couple of months ago. I found myself actually feeling anxious every time I went on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, social media anxiety, my heart was beating faster because I was scared I would see something that would upset me, or put me back to square one or make my life feel inferior. And 9/10 I would. It took me getting my head round the fact that social media is just highlights of peoples lives, no one posts a photo of them crying or struggling through something, a bad grade etc I was trying to measure myself by the best moments in peoples lives and the sad part is probably everyone would be. Sharing the best moments is good and encouraging and can be inspiring but you're right, social media forgets about the other side of peoples lives and that's where communication comes in. I might not share what's upsetting me with the social media world but I share it with my friends, my family and the people that love and care about me and that's what matters and I'm proud of both sides of me and of both sides of everyone else. Anyway brilliant post Jessie love you girl. (Both halves of you) haha xxxxxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY!! It's painful and soul-destroying to flick through facebook, instagram etc. We have to be flipping real, vulnerable and authentic or we'll all be living behind the mask that is social media. And we have have to break the pattern of avoiding being truly seen for fear of how we'll be received. It's having courage in loving who we truly are, without the masks, and beauty shines through that xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
DeleteExactly exactly!! Social media can be a good thing but it's scary, it's addictive, it's not social and I hate to think of children growing up in this culture of #transformationtuesday or #throwbackthursday, of #boxgapresults or anything else that forces them to fit in with these ideals or 'norms'. Personally I feel lucky that we were born when Google didn't exist and have been able to grown up appreciating the good sides and bad sides of online media. Its so important that kids don't just get thrown into this world without questioning it :( posts like this is what we neeeeed!!! Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteWhat makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteThis post is sssooo true!! If we numb vulnerability we end up blaming our friends our family and our God for events that happen to us (as blame is the easiest way to discharge; the shame, pain and vulnerability that we are numbing). Also by numbing vulnerability we turn into perfectionists, it is especially common to be a perfectionist in how we see our children.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as your child takes their first breath on earth (or you see a new baby) you will think "oh they are so beautiful and just so perfect". Due to your experience of emotions like shame, pain and vulnerability (and your experience with numbing these emotions) you will set an expectation that they will be the perfect person you haven't been (that they will make Oxford university and with your help, or the parents help, and guidance become perfect people). In by doing this we are creating a viscous circle of generations and generations of imperfect and numb human beings.
So this is what I believe we have to do. BE VULNERABLE! by being vulnerable we can practice joy and practice happiness as emotions and eventually with posts like this and Gods help we can start to transform humanity so that one day we would create a human species that accepts everyone for who they are, is openly vulnerable and will mend the broken world we live in today.
Thank you Jessie for the inspiration (to be vulnerable) and the truth in this post.
So let's unite with our neighbours and God, hand in hand, and let's BE VULNERABLE!!!!