Be Vulnerable.

One of the toughest parts of building deeper relationships is being somewhat vulnerable. Without vulnerability, you’ll end up with surface relationships that are mostly comprised of small talk. Vulnerability is key to creating meaningful connections and connection is what adds purpose to our lives.

Think about the most significant relationships in your life. One common aspect is probably vulnerability. In those relationships, you can be your true self without concern of judgement or weakness. Vulnerability matters not only in these intimate relationships but also in friendship and professional relationships. Being vulnerable to someone who has been through a similar situation can be extremely helpful. It makes it easier for them to talk about their own experiences as you work through your struggle.

It is important to remember that being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. Instead it is something genuine that lets us more deeply experience the world. Without being vulnerable, others may not know how to relate or won’t care to help since you appear to be perfect.

If someone wanted to see perfect ideal lives, one could just go to any social network and view millions of those “ideal” accounts. But for building true relationships and friendships, it's about connecting with others and sharing all aspects of life, good and bad.

Vulnerability helps us connect to other people on a deeper and more meaningful level by building authenticity and trust.