It's horrible. Or is it?

Vulnerability is often viewed in a negative context. You hear the term frequently: software vulnerabilities, network vulnerabilities, hardware vulnerabilities, user vulnerabilities. By definition, "cyber vulnerability" refers to a weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls, or implementation that could be exploited by a threat actor (like a hacker) to gain unauthorized access to data or systems, disrupt operations, or cause damage.

With regard to cyber security, I'd say vulnerabilities are definitely a downer.

I'm not gonna discuss those kinds of vulnerabilities today though. I'm talking about vulnerabilities we face in life. One that comes to mind consists of a sudden death drop your stomach takes when your brain acknowledges the very real possibility your personal, sensitive data has been exposed. You feel exploited. Your body becomes numb, heart rate increases, it can be difficult to breath and the words "Oh My God" seem to involuntarily spill from your mouth. Example, I come across a flirty photo I'd sent to a special someone, intended to be seen for their eyes only. If anyone else saw this photo, well that'd be humiliating. "Oh My God", Mr. K (my stalker) probably saw this photo, simultaniously my stomach is dropping.

Over the past 3 years I've experienced many, many, many OMG stomach drops. Most of the time they're very brief, but I have experienced moderate panic attacks, with a couple leading to nervous breakdowns. That's what vulnerability means to me, it goes hand in hand with "exposed".

Believe it or not, there has been a silver lining behind this cloud of vulnerability, As I've previously mentioned, I've always been a pretty private person. I'm not really on social media and I'm not an attention seeker. Since having no choice but to endure countless privacy vulnerabilities, I began conditioning myself to manage the effectiveness they have on me, and adapt to how I live with the exploiting exposure. I'd say I've become almost immune, or numb to it. With that,, I have a noticeably easier time with opening up; telling my story; WRITING A BLOG; and hopefully helping others. I believe I'll also have less anxiety easing back into social media as well.....baby steps. 😊

Lastly, people often see those who express vulnerability as weak, I think the exact opposite. I believe having the ability to show vulnerability doesn't mean you're a wimp, I believe it exhibits strength of character, confidence, and sincerity. That's just my POV.