The Gift of Being Vulnerable
Last year around Thanksgiving I shared a very personal message with you about Thanksgiving being a difficult time for me and my brother’s death changing my perspective on gratitude.
Honestly – it wasn’t easy to talk about all of that and to share so openly. I was uncomfortable to write my story and put it all out there. I didn’t know if my personal experience and perspective were something that anyone wanted or cared to hear. But I knew in my heart, I wanted – maybe even needed – to share my story with you.
I wondered about a lot of things…
Is this message too self-centered?
As a business owner, do people even care about the story behind me and my business?
Will people respond?
Will people think “why is this nonprofit search firm talking about “other stuff”?
But, as I decided to open up and share with you about my feelings and pain surrounding Thanksgiving that inspired me to practice “active gratitude,” I was reminded of another important lesson from all of you!
Being vulnerable with others is a gift.
And, from my gift, I received such a gift from a lot of you. I received SO MANY personal emails of people supporting me, sharing their own painful – and inspiring – stories. Over time owning a business (especially one serving nonprofits), I’ve come to realize being my real and true self with other people helps not only me as a person, but my business as well.
One of the most pleasantly surprising and impactful responses I received was from a CEO Talbott Talent placed and had worked with for several years. I had a chance to visit with him just before Christmas last year. He thanked me for sharing my message. He then shared with me that he heard my message while he was with his family. He then read my message to them which sparked a conversation with his entire family about practicing active gratitude.
I realize now that, even though I was uncertain – it was an act of giving to be vulnerable. We are offering people a glimpse into our lives, which can benefit theirs. I had so many people respond with messages like “I thought I was alone. I had no idea you’d gone through something similar. Thank you for sharing!”
That’s why we need to be bold and courageous in sharing ourselves with others.
This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to join me in not only practicing active gratitude but of giving the gift of vulnerability to others.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
I’ll start by sharing in the gift of vulnerability from my perspective!
1. Share a joy or success that you are excited about.
Sometimes we are so afraid of sharing our successes, often because we don’t want to feel like we are bragging. But, when we don’t put our successes into a public space, we lose opportunities to connect, celebrate, and inspire.
2. Share something that is painful.
I think this is honestly what I did when I shared my Thanksgiving message last year. Even though I didn’t know if my personal experience and perspective were something that anyone wanted to hear, I decided to be vulnerable and share.
3. Share something that you failed at or are embarrassed by.
When I first launched my business (almost 6 years ago), there were a few moments where I “failed forward”. In my first year in business, I took on a search that I thought we could fill. In short - we couldn’t. I was embarrassed. It was the only real time we had to walk away from a search, and it might have been somewhat my fault.
This experience discouraged me and made me second-guess myself initially. But, from this failure at the beginning of my business, I learned so much! I learned from it how to ask the right questions upfront, how to identify when nonprofits want me to work a miracle, and, even as a new business owner, how to say no.
As you spend time with friends, family, neighbors, and others this Thanksgiving, I encourage you to give the gift of you and your true self and be vulnerable with others!
Wishing you good wishes and gratitude this Thanksgiving,
