I’ll never forget having lunch with a friend a few years back. As we sat down, I asked him how he was going. “Awesome” was his answer and he went on to tell me about a bunch of good things happening in his life at that time.
Then he asked me how I was doing. I thought for moment – “Will I go with ‘Awesome’ or will I be honest?” I decided to be honest and so I said, “Yeah, not the best. I’ve had a few challenges lately.” And I began sharing some of things I was facing at that time.
The tone of the conversation completely changed. In fact, when I was done, he said that actually he wasn’t doing that well either.
You know, the degree of openness in a relationship determines the degree of intimacy or closeness. Have you got someone in your life who ever asks you, “How are you doing … really?” and has the time to listen? That’s so important.
Of course, through vulnerability we can contribute to the deepening and strengthening of any friendship. There is a time to be real, to take off our masks, and our ‘image management’ efforts.
Vulnerability – think about it.