Life teaches you a lot about strength and skills, how to develop them, refine them, and, most importantly, protect them. One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that being vulnerable is the same as being weak. While I acknowledge that vulnerability has its place, I also understand that not everyone deserves access to my vulnerabilities. There are levels to this.
Strength and Skills: The Foundation of My Power
Strength and skills are not just about physical endurance or career expertise; they are the foundation of resilience, adaptability, and self-preservation.
These qualities shape how I navigate Life’s Changes and determine how I respond to challenges. My strength is my ability to adapt without breaking, push forward without seeking validation, and remain unwavering in the face of opposition.
Many assume that strength means being open, raw, and emotionally exposed to the world. But true strength is knowing when, where, and with whom to be vulnerable.
Further Reading: Why I Chose to Flow Like Water Through Life’s Changes
Not All Vulnerability Is Created Equal
There’s a reason I don’t lay my vulnerabilities on the table for just anyone to experience. I’ve learned that people will use your openness as leverage, twisting your moments of weakness into weapons. This is why I control my narrative. My strength and skills are mine to wield, not for others to manipulate.
Does this mean I never allow myself to be vulnerable? No. But I choose who, when, and how I allow someone to access that side of me. This is a skill in itself, one that protects me from unnecessary pain and manipulation.
Further Reading: Why My Strength and Skills Will Never Consist of Vulnerability
The Power of Emotional Discipline
Being emotionally disciplined is not the same as being emotionally distant. It means understanding that strength and skills require emotional intelligence. It means I do not react impulsively. I do not allow my emotions to be dictated by the expectations of others. I process, I analyze, and I act with intention.
Emotional discipline allows me to stay in control. I don’t let temporary emotions dictate permanent decisions, nor do I allow guilt to push me into vulnerability with people who haven’t earned that level of access.
Further Reading: Change is the Only Constant in Life, Learn to Except it
Mastering Boundaries: The Ultimate Skill
One of the greatest strengths a person can have is the ability to set and enforce boundaries. Not everyone is entitled to your energy, your truth, or your struggles. Protecting your peace means protecting your strength and skills, not giving them away freely.
I used to believe that being open meant being real. But now, I understand that authenticity does not require overexposure. The more I mastered my boundaries, the stronger I became.
Further Reading: Depression and Addiction Were My Two Worst Enemies
Final Thoughts
Strength and skills are power. Vulnerability, when used correctly, is also power. But power without control is chaos. I refuse to allow my vulnerability to be exploited. Instead, I use discernment. I embrace my emotional discipline. I master my boundaries.
Because at the end of the day, I decide who has access to my strength, my skills, and my story.
