To live as an open beamed ceiling

The ceiling in the office building was open; the beams were exposed, the wiring was visible. The ceiling was honest, it wasn’t hiding behind drywall and plaster. As if the ceiling was saying, “Here I am. This is me.” The ceiling was willing to be vulnerable.

We start life as an open beamed ceiling, and then, as we grow up, we start to add drywall and plaster to our ceiling, hiding what we really feel. We put on masks, and hide.

What do we want to do? What do we love?

“What happens when people open their hearts?”
“They get better.”
― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

Maybe someone laughed at your dream. Or didn’t understand what you said. So you started to hide; you covered up your heart.

Being vulnerable, exposing your wiring, showing your beams, was painful.

And, each day, each year of hiding, added more plaster and more drywall to who you are. A mask. A mask that was becoming hard to take off.

You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it. ― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta Click To Tweet

Rip off the dry-wall, take off the mask

Brené Brown, in her book Daring Greatly, talks about how important it is to be vulnerable. To show how we really feel, is to be really alive.

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable”.― Brené Brown

The word vulnerable is really old. According to Therarus.com the word vulnerable comes from 1595-1605; < Late Latin vulnerābilis, equivalent to Latin vulnerā (re) towound + -bilis

To be vulnerable is to be willing to be wounded.

Are you willing to be vulnerable? Are you willing to live your life as an open-beamed ceiling? Will you take off your mask? Will you take off your mask and show us who you really are?

Will you let yourself be seen?

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
― Brené Brown

To show your artwork is to be vulnerable. To share a story is to be vulnerable. To tell a friend what you think is to be vulnerable. To ask someone for coffee is to be vulnerable. To make a new friend is to be vulnerable. To let someone read a story you wrote is to be vulnerable. To love someone is to be vulnerable.

“Vulnerability really means to be strong and secure enough within yourself that you are able to walk outside without your armor on. You are able to show up in life as just you. That is genuine strength and courage. Armor may look tough, but all it does is mask insecurity and fear.”
― Alaric Hutchinson, Living Peace

Show up in life as just you. ― Alaric Hutchinson, Living Peace Click To Tweet

To be alive is to be vulnerable.

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability… To be alive is to be vulnerable.”
― Madeleine L’Engle

May we live as open-beamed ceilings. Risking failure, being honest, and living without a mask.

Are you willing to be vulnerable? Will you be an open-beamed ceiling and risk being vulnerable? Will you show up in life as just you?

As always I love to hear from you. Click here to comment, or if you are on the blog, just scroll to the bottom of the page.

xo
Pamela