10 Comments
Sep 14, 2023Liked by Ashleigh Vaughn

I appreciate this essay so much. It doesn’t come easily to me but i know it’s so important to practice vulnerability and being honest with myself and others.

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Thank you Biany! Vulnerability didn’t come easy to me overnight. Like you said, it’s important to practice and also be honest with yourself first. I hope as time goes by it comes more easily to you.

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Mar 4Liked by Ashleigh Vaughn

I think ones access to vulnerability lies directly in relation to their feeling of safety. Prior to entering the safest, most consistent, and tender relationship of my life I was a stone castle with a moat full of piranha surrounding it. I was a fortress and let no one cross. The ability to feel accepted has allowed me to do the same to others and extend my vulnerability for both my and their's sake. I arrived here from Kamil's post "too afraid to stumble, so I refused to jump".

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Oooh you are so right, Rachel! And thank you for the visual because I pictured the moat complete with angry looking piranha just ready to pounce. 🤣 But safety absolutely fosters a greater environment for vulnerability to be practiced. This is another reason why I’m selective with who I’m around and who is around me. I want to feel safe with the people I let into any intimate space of mine and I don’t want to feel like I have to mask any part of my vulnerability.

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Mar 4Liked by Ashleigh Vaughn

Seriously! My aim since young was to have a home where I could be my full self in. I am happy to share I’ve created that and the ease feels like *chefs kiss*

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Thank you Ashleigh. You’re response to prompt 1 resonates deeply, and I’ve just begun putting the feeling and emotions of this nature into words.

Thank you Rachel for this comment. A few months ago my therapist asked, “Do you feel safe?” Before he could even fully get the question out I said, “No.” It startled me. My therapist then began talking to me about how, yes, feeling safe/unsafe in the world is one thing, and also feeling safe in the world that is ourselves, is a MAJOR thing that we often don’t speak enough about, let alone work through.

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May 20Liked by Ashleigh Vaughn

That sounds like a real eye opening experience. It’s no wonder why we have such a hard time thriving when all of our energy is going to the most basic survival elements such as safety.

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Whew! Not feeling safe within ourselves is a battleeee at times. To me it's scarier than not feeling safe in the world in general because there's no escape when you're not feeling safe within your own being. Thank you for sharing ẹniafẹ!

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I relate to response n°1 more than I'd like too. Thank you for sharing, this does feel like generosity.

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