This quote explores the notion of jumping into the unknown, believing in being worthy and having enough, and having the courage and bravery to step out of line and be different and unique. Jumping into the unknown and stepping out of comfort zones are one of the fears that all are afraid of. The possibility of the future and the consequences that may follow brings the imagined uneasiness, pain and suffering. The pain of loss and change, going into a place of complete darkness where no light can shine to give relief, makes all feel vulnerable, small, and fragile and the thought where everybody is better is very daunting.
Being different where everyone else is the same is like being the white in the black or the black in the white. Feeling ashamed and not having the courage to proudly show the difference fuels the thought. Fearing the thoughts of others, being ridiculed, and the need to stick by society’s expectations makes all want to stay in a bubble where everything is familiar and comfortable. The fear of the unknown and the future that is a long way down the track, stops many great thoughts and ideas.
The future events may seem much more painful and disastrous than what is of the present because of the billions of odd events and possibilities which may happen all blot a tiny piece of the new idea until the thought is too scary to think about and is tucked away in the deepest and darkest parts of the soul, never to see the light again. Each time something new happens and changes an aspect of someone’s life, security and comfort is compromised and lets the thought of the uncertain seep in.
Softening resistance to the rigid thought of a path and or the light and glance at the darkness, allows the letting go of the ego, expanding and/or changing our perspective and mind. “The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows. ” is a quote regarding the fear of the uncertain which is not scary at all but the influences and the fear of possibilities shadow the true experience of the future.
Brown reveals to the viewers that fearing the shadows of reality exaggerate the consequences of missed opportunities and failure which further propel the influence of manipulation and shadowing of the truth. This shadow looms over the bubble of security and comfort shielding the vulnerability of the situation. Brown implies that in order to become stronger, step into the darkness and face the shadow of vulnerability. Being vulnerable makes everyone less vulnerable in the future.
Brown suggests that feeling small and fragile shrinks the thoughts on capabilities to battle through the shadows and darkness into the realm of being impossible. Discovering the infinite power of light allows the viewer to defeat the scary shadows of the darkness Being worthy, satisfied with enough, and vulnerable all tie into the connections. People that feel loved, worthy, belonging, and whole – hearted have the ability to let go of who they thought they should be and become who they already are.
Having connections with other who may have same common interests, are different or are those that the viewer loves and cares about all play a role in feeling satisfied with what they are. Having this support encourages the thoughts and courage to step into the dark and world of vulnerability. Feeling satisfied and happy with “enough” is what many do not have. Always wanting to be better than others, criticising on failure and missed opportunities blinds the true meaning of being vulnerable and flexible to whatever that may come.
You are imperfect and you are wired for struggle but you are worthy of love and belonging” demonstrates that Brown does not agree with the world of perfectionism but more of a world full of struggle and imperfections. Being worthy of love and belonging fuel the positive vibe of success and the determination set for success. Feeling that everyone is better sets up the stage for vulnerability to take over and instead of thinking that there is room for improvement, most just get caught in the cycle of unworthiness and the constant reach of perfect even if impossible.
Brown states that: “the one thing that keeps us out of connection is our fear that we are not worthy of connection”. Brown agrees that all fear of judgement and that connection may open up a passageway for vulnerable situations to pop up further influencing this fear of being an embarrassment or not acting the way that is expected in society, is a weakness that all have. Having connections with those of loved ones and the immense support fuels the positive thinking of accomplishment and sparks the courage, determination, belief and bravery to do something innovative and believe that it will succeed.
This accomplishment paves their way into the darkness, into the world of vulnerability discovering their infinite power of light and using it to defeat the fears of vulnerability. The fundamental thought of the willingness to do something where there are absolutely no guarantees to success is a thought that most lack. To be flexible and letting go of fear and restrictions to live in this vulnerable world is feeling worthy and satisfied with the results what has happened and what can be achieved by the viewer in the future.
The poem “Vulnerability” by Hannah Bauer discusses the paradox of vulnerability and how it is a double-edged sword. “I hate being vulnerable” is using first person emotive language engages the audience and relates to the reader to increase perspective and empathy. Using contrast and emphasis as the main techniques to express the complicated feelings of vulnerability and relating to the reader that: “forcing down negative emotions at the thought that someone might see and know that I am not the strong person I show myself to be.
This specific situation always happens to everyone and using the supposed thoughts of others to prevent them to see that you are weak and vulnerable to the world. Hiding behind the supposed shield of vulnerability causes more harm than good in many cases. The use of repetition of the personal pronoun “I am struggling”, attracts the attention of the reader and the increase the emotions of sympathy and empathy. The use of emotive language such as hate, struggling, negative, against, rejected, terrifying all set a gloomy tone and mood for the topic of vulnerability.
The use of the rhetorical question adds the topic of thought and engages the reader as the reader now automatically stops to think about what is asks and further amplifies the emotions set by Bauer. The poem also confers about the consequences of vulnerability and the fears associated, “whatever I share could be used against me” as the line that the reader agrees to and the other following lines to complement that thought of the fear of the uncertain. Paradox is a technique that is used the most often and has the most effect with this poem as vulnerability is a double-edged sword, having both great and not-so-great consequences.
But what Bauer is mainly showcasing is the negative consequences but it then she gives an insight to some of the positive possibilities of acceptance and using the vulnerable experiences to make the reader stronger in the future. “It’s terrifying. It’s beautiful. ” Is a paradox and an oxymoron which is deconstructing the line before into 2 separate things which both describe vulnerability, equally. Vulnerability is equally terrifying and beautiful but it depends on the reader’s perspective, experiences and beliefs to choose which word best fits “vulnerability”.
The text of choice is a cartoon related to the fear of flight showing the fears of vulnerability, possibility and uncertainty of the future. One very nervous bird is wearing a parachute indicating the fear of stepping out of the comfort zone, of being in a nest and on a sturdy branch, into the unknown (the air and having no safety net) being very daunting which has very catastrophic consequences such as falling off the branch or not being able to fly in time before the bird reaches the ground. The thought of falling, impedes any bravery and courage to step out from the bird.
The nest and branch are all symbols of the familiar world and the bubble which surrounds all from the vulnerable world. The other bird advises to try flying without the parachute encouraging the support of the connections (loved ones) and that everything is not as scary as it seems and the fear was just an imagined image of pain and change which is fuelled by any previous experiences or just the fear of being the first time to fly inflicting great fear. The expectation that all birds should be able to fly are also implied.
The fact that this bird is scared of flying contradicts with what is expected of society’s expectations and is considered to be very different. Exploring darkness is something that all try to avoid but facing it takes a huge amount of bravery and courage, a sense of belonging and worthiness as support to push through hard times, to be able to step out of line and challenge the society’s expectations are all hidden in the shadows that darken the happy times. But if vulnerability can be defeated and let go, anyone can accomplish anything by discovering the infinite power of their own light.