There are three contexts for risking more.

There’s the internal context, when we’re prepared to explore the deepest, uncharted areas of our lives.  We’ve called this severally: contemplation, meditation, reflection, mindfulness: as there’s a hiddenness to all growing things, we too have a hiddenness for why we are who we are and do what we do.

There’s the external context, where we’re prepared to connect with people, discover more about how the world and the universe works, engage in our work, and are prepared to commit to causes which are important to us.

Then there’s the deep source of emergence,* the possibility of new things happening in and through our internal and external worlds, especially including what we can be about together because of the deep connections we’ve been able to make with others – deep because we have brought a greater understanding of who we are which enable us to overcome the obstacles and barriers we experience to others.

To deepen and expand each of these contexts requires risk.  And the willingness to risk, Brené Brown argues, is only made possible by our vulnerability.

Daily, we live in our relationships and do the work we do – not knowing how we will fair – because of our willingness to be vulnerable.

To be vulnerable is to be an experiential, feeling Human.  We already are vulnerable, so what we are contemplating is the possibility of knowing and exercising vulnerability so we can expand and develop it more: towards the things we feel to be so very important in life – the pursuit and living of our values and beliefs.

If we hope for anything, vulnerability is involved.

Whilst vulnerability opens us to what we are most fearful of and want to avoid – and it will be its very nature – it also opens up all we desire and value:

‘Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.  It is the source of hope, empathy, and authenticity.  If we want greater clarity and purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.’**

(*So named by Otto Scharmer in Theory U.)
(**From Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly.)