Day 12 - Embracing my Vulnerability

Today I am challenged with thinking about different areas of my life and assigning the following categories to the appropriate character traits: Fearful, Fearless, and Brave. I like this challenge. It gets me thinking and kind of stumps me a little bit.

I have never been one to fall victim to peer pressure. As a young adult, I didn’t feel compelled to attend parties, misbehave, or try to do anything that would allow me to fit in. I will put that under the Fearless category because I don’t even have to think about it, I have just always liked to do my own thing. Ironically, I do care more than I should what other people think about me.

I stand up for others; protecting human rights is something I believe in and sometimes this willingness to act puts me in situations that may be unsafe. I recognize this unfortunate reality, but it does not stop me from doing the next right thing. I will put this in the Brave category.

I spent most of my adult life believing that a professional in business either gets promoted or they get help to find alternative employment elsewhere. It was a theory I adopted early in my career after observing the movement of professionals in my industry. My #1 rule was ‘don’t get fired.’

This perspective meant that I often acted out of fear of failure, while ensuring that those around me were able to fail safely. It wasn’t a healthy way to exist, but I will always be proud of how I choose to lead others. This one goes in the fearful category.

I will add that a few years ago I adopted a much healthier perspective: “Have only one rule: Be your wild, courageous, brilliant self every single day, no matter what.” I learned this new mantra from a greeting card. It’s framed and prominently featured on my desk.

This activity has sparked a realization that with a little extra effort, I can unearth the hidden motives behind some of my behaviors. Embracing self-discovery might be challenging, but the profound insights gained make every ounce of effort truly worthwhile.

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