Becoming the Vulnerable Hero
Becoming the Vulnerable Hero
Vulnerability. For too long, that word has been misunderstood. We’ve been told it means weakness, fragility, or the risk of being hurt. But vulnerability isn’t weakness at all — it is the courage to experience love in its purest form.
This is the foundation of becoming a Vulnerable Hero.
What Life Are You Living?
Let me ask you two questions:
What life are you living?
Whose life are you living?
Are you living the life of your dreams — full of freedom, boldness, passion, and purpose? Or are you living a life of fear, limiting beliefs, and hedging your bets against a day that may never come.
Too many of us are living out scripts written by someone else — parents, bosses, culture, or fear itself. But the truth is this: you have the power to write your own story.
Masks, Strength, and True Vulnerability
Most people you meet each day wear a mask. Especially in the workplace, where walls are high and emotions are hidden. But vulnerability isn’t about emotional neediness or oversharing.
True vulnerability can walk into any situation, in the face of whatever may come, and stand firm in the power of love.
For men especially, physical toughness often replaces emotional courage. But as I tell my brothers: physical strength means nothing if you crumble the moment a hard conversation comes up. Real strength is the ability to remain open, calm, and loving when challenged.
Redefining Love
We’ve watered down the word love. We say we “love ice cream,” “love the weather,” or “fall in love.” But in its truest sense, love means to give.
That’s why you can’t actually “love” ice cream — you can only enjoy it. Love exists where there is giving. And giving is what fuels vulnerability. When giving ends, love ceases.
This is why being a Vulnerable Hero requires a radical return to love: giving, not taking; standing, not hiding.
Hurt People Hurt People — But Healed People Heal People
Many of us carry wounds from the loss of innocence — broken trust, shattered relationships, betrayal, abuse, shame. And here’s the reality:
Hurt people hurt people.
Healed people heal people.
If you’re hurting, you will give out of that hurt. If you’re healed, you will give out of that healing. That’s why the journey matters: first we seek healing for ourselves, and then we extend it to others.
Truth, Love, and Freedom
Here’s a beautiful cycle:
Love creates the safety for truth to come out.
Truth leads to freedom.
Freedom is the evidence of healing.
But truth will only surface where there is unconditional love without judgment. Otherwise, like a groundhog sensing danger, it burrows deeper inside, hidden and silenced. When truth finally comes forth, you can breathe again. You can live free of guilt, shame, and fear.
Lighting the Fire
Benjamin Franklin once said: “Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.”
You are that candle. I am that candle. Together, our candles can become campfires, bonfires, even wildfires — not of destruction, but of light, healing, and love.
This is what it means to become a Vulnerable Hero:
To live free from fear and shame.
To love without conditions.
To bring truth into the light.
To give healing to the hurting.
The choice is yours. The choice is mine. And together, we can set the world ablaze with love.
What life are you living? And whose life are you living?
It’s time to become your own Vulnerable Hero.
Ready to live free from fear and shame? Start your journey to becoming a vulnerable hero today. Subscribe for more reflections on healing and freedom.