Most people don’t like the feeling of being vulnerable. Yet, it’s an inevitable part of life. Vulnerable never feels good, but it can help you understand new perspectives and give you a chance for change or growth. It also fosters good emotional and mental health. Let these 11 quotes inspire you when you’re feeling the most vulnerable.
1. “Everyone has their moments of solitude, difficulties, and vulnerability.”—Cai Guo-Qiang
2. “What happens when people open their hearts? They get better.”—Haruki Murakami
3. “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. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”—Brene Brown
4. “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
5. “It’s very hard to have ideas. It’s very hard to put yourself out there, it’s very hard to be vulnerable, but those people who do that are the dreamers, the thinkers and the creators. They are the magic people of the world.”—Amy Poehler
6. “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”—Brene Brown
7. “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”—Brené Brown
8. “People cry, not because they’re weak. It’s because they’ve been strong for too long.”— Johnny Depp.
9. “Vulnerability is the only authentic state. Being vulnerable means being open, for wounding, but also for pleasure. Being open to the wounds of life means also being open to the bounty and beauty. Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: it is your greatest asset. Be vulnerable: quake and shake in your boots with it. the new goodness that is coming to you, in the form of people, situations, and things can only come to you when you are vulnerable, i.e. open.”—Stephen Russell
10. “We are at our most powerful the moment we no longer need to be powerful.”—Eric Micha’el Leventhal
11. “We are all broken by something. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt. We all share the condition of brokenness, even if our brokenness is not equivalent […] Our shared vulnerability and imperfection nurtures and sustains our capacity for compassion. We have a choice. We can embrace our humanness, which means embracing our broken natures and the compassion that remains our best hope for healing. Or we can deny our brokenness, foreswear compassion, and, as a result, deny our own humanity.” — Bryan Stevenson
