Feel The Force

I want to talk about vulnerability.

One of my clients was experiencing a great deal of deeply internalized stress that was manifesting externally in painful physical symptoms. This stress came from a conflict between the need to express an emotional need and life-long patterns about denying these needs. The client didn't know that's what was going on, but I knew because of Obi Wan Kenobi.

You see, I get these ideas in my head when I'm working. Some of them are very literal, but others are quite obviously metaphors. Since they're my metaphors, I sometimes share them whole cloth, other times I distill them down and share them in a more pre-digested form.

In this case, I was struck by the scene from the original Star Wars movie when Obi Wan says to Darth Vader, "If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine."

Cut to the chase, I knew it was about the battle over vulnerability. A definition of vulnerability is, "capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt." No place in the definition does it mention that one must be or will be hurt, only capable of it. We all have the potential for injury, but stepping into one's capability for wounding actually creates a flexibility, a resilience. Opening the heart and allowing oneself to be open to pain, also allows one to be open to deep connection. It also creates equanimity. Standing in a place of equanimity is standing in place of strength and resilience. Avoiding vulnerability is standing in a place of fear. Fear is never a place of strength