You’re not bulletproof
Why? Because you’re a human being. It doesn’t matter how you grew up, what sex or gender you are, what race you are, or what you’ve accomplished. You will never be bulletproof, and nor will anyone else.
We all know those people who portray themselves as invincible. Nothing shakes rocks their boat. In reality, this leans more towards toxic positivity than being inspiring to those who seek guidance. Anyone who claims to be bulletproof is either a liar or they have never been shot at.
There is truth to learning how to deal with setbacks, tragedy, or failures, but thinking you are weak if any of these things cause you to have an emotional reaction, is just not healthy. It is OK to feel feelings!
That being said, it is not ok to allow your feelings to wipe the floor with you. Learning how to interpret our emotions and learn more about ourselves, can be a very powerful skill to develop. Again, this does not mean turning into a terminator with no weakness. It simply gives you a better chance of coming out of a moment of vulnerability with clarity and optimism on how to proceed.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself in these moments.
Why is this affecting me this way?
Will this matter in 5 years?
Have I overcome something similar before?
What can I do in this moment to move towards a solution?
There are many such questions but they can be used to guide you out of the dark without ignoring the fact that you were in the dark. Always downplaying or ignoring your feelings when something blindsides you, can lead to a toxic buildup over time.
Feel your feelings.
Learn from them.
Move past them.
So, if the bullet hits you, take it, heal from it, and dodge it next time.
Question of the week!
How would you view your relationship with your feelings in tough times?
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My relationship with difficult times tends to be to run or avoid all together. My all time favorite is to just sleep. Unhealthy I know, but I do I find help in my faith and my friends. I also tend to do better with a full schedule where I don’t have lots of time to dwell . The struggle is real but hopefully is survivable for all of us because we are worth it.
My relationship with feelings in difficult times is...well, difficult. Was taught growing up that anger made people monsters and sadness made me weak, so I ended up suppressing both. What I've learned though is that all the suppression in the world isn't going to stop them from coming out, one way or another. Better to deal with them in the moment than to let them build into something bigger and more explosive.
Perhaps truly being bulletproof is being able to feel and process the emotions, as you've said, and move passed them instead of avoiding the feels 😊
Well said, very insightful as always. 👏