Vulnerability is a difficult concept to embrace. Often, we are encouraged to be emotional in certain ways: laugh and smile, be happy. But we are looked down upon if we are emotional in other ways: crying over something or getting passionate about a political issue. We are not exactly encouraged to be open, but we are criticized if we are too "closed off."

For a long time, I refused to be open about my true feelings. I didn’t tell people when I was down and I had a difficult time expressing myself. I felt like I was too emotional and, therefore, I shut down completely. I built a wall between myself and other people. A wall that I am learning how to tear down every day.

What I realize now is how important it is to be open to feeling everything as much as possible. Without opening yourself up to new people and experiences, how can you expect to be the best version of yourself? One of the most beautiful things about humankind is the ability to relate to one another on an intense personal level. Without this ability, we would just be emotionless masses of cells walking around, never having a real connection with anyone.

There is nothing wrong with protecting yourself from getting hurt, but building walls is such a lonely way to spend your life. Being closed off to others means you close yourself off from not just pain, but also love, happiness and freedom. Constantly checking in to make sure you’re not expressing too much emotion is an exhausting way to go about your days.

I challenge you to open up to someone this week. Whether it be someone you already know well or someone you’re just becoming close with. Having an open conversation may lead you to realize that you’re not alone in your current situation. Often, when you open up to someone, you realize just how alike you and the person are. We all endure similar tribulations in life, just in different settings. We all have felt loss and pain and fear; sharing those feelings with another person can be the cathartic experience you need right now.

We often lead shallow conversations regarding our daily lives and silly jokes (which is great – we all need a little silliness!), but sometimes deep conversations are just what the doctor ordered. Fill the prescription and sit down with someone to pour your heart out.