As someone who quite intentionally chooses to follow your work, I have witnessed you—in some ways subtly—becoming more open and vulnerable in the ways you choose to present yourself publicly.
I often reflect on how vulnerability may be one of the highest forms of bravery. In days of old, a general who leads their troops, at the very front of a charge, is simultaneously both very brave and very vulnerable. In the short term, it would be safer for them to lead from a bunker, safely behind front lines. Yet, how does such an act speak to the people they lead? How effective is a leader who hides at critical moments?
At the same time, a leader needs to hold an inner sense of security, safety, and confidence. Lacking that grounding while being out in front may be a detriment to many. It's a complex balance to find. And I deeply respect one who first seeks to pay attention to their own well-being. To use another metaphor, you've got to first put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others who are in need with theirs. What the airlines imply but don't specifically acknowledge is this: if you can't breathe, you'll soon be incapacitated or worse, and then you cannot help anyone.
It's a huge step to open up commenting access here. I get the need for self-preservation... from a biological perspective, that's at the root of all that each of us are trying to do, as best we are able. The gift of allowing others to respond to your voice... well, this can be a way to safely give others oxygen to their own previously withheld expression. And perhaps help them gain permission to venture forth bravely.
I recall something a yoga teacher said many years ago: "What awesomeness are you withholding from the world?" I'm grateful to you for sharing your gifts and challenges—and by extension—the gifts and challenges of those you include in your public interactions and spaces. I cannot begin to measure the effects of this via a statistical database, yet I can tell you this: it has made a profound impact on my own life and, by extension, those with whom I share what I gained here.
Eric, thank you so much for this. As always, your words landed deeply.
It's taken a long time to get to a place where I feel both grounded enough to share more openly and resourced enough to receive what comes back. You're absolutely right that it's a delicate balance between vulnerability and self-preservation. There were years when I had to choose the bunker to avoid being overwhelmed. But now, with firmer roots and a clearer sense of self, I can step forward in new ways.
I love the oxygen mask metaphor. And especially the part you added about giving others oxygen to express what's been withheld. That's really what I hope this space can be: more than a platform for my voice, but a place where others can also feel seen, affirmed, and invited to speak their own truth.
Your support, reflection, and care mean so much to me. Thank you for taking the time to write this and for always sharing so generously. 🙏
As someone who quite intentionally chooses to follow your work, I have witnessed you—in some ways subtly—becoming more open and vulnerable in the ways you choose to present yourself publicly.
I often reflect on how vulnerability may be one of the highest forms of bravery. In days of old, a general who leads their troops, at the very front of a charge, is simultaneously both very brave and very vulnerable. In the short term, it would be safer for them to lead from a bunker, safely behind front lines. Yet, how does such an act speak to the people they lead? How effective is a leader who hides at critical moments?
At the same time, a leader needs to hold an inner sense of security, safety, and confidence. Lacking that grounding while being out in front may be a detriment to many. It's a complex balance to find. And I deeply respect one who first seeks to pay attention to their own well-being. To use another metaphor, you've got to first put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others who are in need with theirs. What the airlines imply but don't specifically acknowledge is this: if you can't breathe, you'll soon be incapacitated or worse, and then you cannot help anyone.
It's a huge step to open up commenting access here. I get the need for self-preservation... from a biological perspective, that's at the root of all that each of us are trying to do, as best we are able. The gift of allowing others to respond to your voice... well, this can be a way to safely give others oxygen to their own previously withheld expression. And perhaps help them gain permission to venture forth bravely.
I recall something a yoga teacher said many years ago: "What awesomeness are you withholding from the world?" I'm grateful to you for sharing your gifts and challenges—and by extension—the gifts and challenges of those you include in your public interactions and spaces. I cannot begin to measure the effects of this via a statistical database, yet I can tell you this: it has made a profound impact on my own life and, by extension, those with whom I share what I gained here.
Thank you, Chris.
Eric, thank you so much for this. As always, your words landed deeply.
It's taken a long time to get to a place where I feel both grounded enough to share more openly and resourced enough to receive what comes back. You're absolutely right that it's a delicate balance between vulnerability and self-preservation. There were years when I had to choose the bunker to avoid being overwhelmed. But now, with firmer roots and a clearer sense of self, I can step forward in new ways.
I love the oxygen mask metaphor. And especially the part you added about giving others oxygen to express what's been withheld. That's really what I hope this space can be: more than a platform for my voice, but a place where others can also feel seen, affirmed, and invited to speak their own truth.
Your support, reflection, and care mean so much to me. Thank you for taking the time to write this and for always sharing so generously. 🙏