#HAWMC
Day
7
Health
Activist
Choice:
Being
Vulnerable
Being vulnerable has been the underlying theme for how I’ve gone about writing my posts. I’ve tried to be as open as possible, which has made for a cathartic experience.
What “being vulnerable” means to me:
fear of the unknown
letting go
opening up
seeking help
allowing others to see me as I am
not as I would like them to see me
which takes courage
because it means I allow them to see me,
with flaws and all
opening up to my imperfections
and admitting that I need help,
that I can’t get through this alone
realizing that asking for help,
and allowing others to help me,
doesn’t make me weak
opening up to others
without fear of being judged
(or even better, having the strength to not care what others think about me)
taking a risk,
even if I may get hurt
risking despite self doubt
stepping outside of the self-inflicted prison
in which I have kept myself for far too long
inviting people in,
rather than push people away
(my biggest challenge, because I do this. I push people away, rather than risk getting hurt. And in the end i not only hurt those people, I end up hurting myself the most)
learning to trust in myself, in my strength, in my courage,
learning to let go of my fears of failure, of my self doubts
embracing the unknown by taking chances
learning that if I fail,
I learn
and grow
stronger from that experience
breaking out of my shell,
living life,
rather than keeping myself bottled up inside
“being vulnerable” in order to gain
self knowledge, strength and confidence, so that I may:
start living
start expressing my needs without fear
of being thought of as a burden to others
gaining self esteem
believing in myself
letting go of my need to be perfect,
of being a control freak
learning to live in the moment
most importantly,
to embrace myself as I am,
at this very moment.
What advice do you have for others trying to choose their topic?
The best piece of advice I would share is that which was told to me, by my Chronically Awesome mentor, Jules ( @julianna12369 on twitter ), which is:
” if you are real and truthful, your blog will be great.”
I have taken this piece of advice to heart, by trying to be as open as possible with what I’ve shared. I sit down and let myself type everything in a stream of consciousness, which has been the tone in which I’ve written my posts. Jules told me to be “real” which I have been, as much as possible (at least, I think I’ve been, and certainly hope that is how I’ve come across…).
Another great piece of advice which the Chronically Awesome Jules gave me is to avoid sounding as if I’m “trying to send a message.” Instead she suggested that I,
” just relax and let the post fall out of you, the message will find it’s way into your story. And not everything has a message, sometimes it’s just something someone wants to relate to. That’s ok too.”
Isn’t Jules great? These suggestions helped take away my fears when writing. The way in which I go about writing is to “get into writing mode”. So far it’s helping to write first thing in the morning, after I’ve had my coffee. I have a clear mind, I’m alert, I sit down and just let everything flow. I don’t censor myself or worry about how what I’m writing will come across. In that way, not only is it coming about organically, but it is also a very cathartic experience. One which I am enjoying.
~~~~
@hipsteralice
April Blogger in Residency
Alice in Crohnsland for
PS: Jules is a bit teared up at the moment. <3
http://www.whatthejules.com/april/304-hawmc-day-7-health-activist-choice-being-vulnerable
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