To be vulnerable is to live fully. Yes, your heart might break. Yes, you might fail. Yes, things might not unfold the way you hoped. But vulnerability doesn't make you more susceptible to pain - it makes you more susceptible to life. And life will inevitably hold shades of disappointment. If you choose not to be vulnerable, sure, you might avoid the sting of rejection, but you'll also miss the bliss of connection-the feeling of being fully known and fully loved. You might never have to confront your reflection after failure, but you'll also never see your impact ripple beyond you-to know your presence made someone's life a little lighter. Either way, time will pass. Seasons will change. The world will keep spinning. People will move on with their lives. What feels like the end of the world now is only the beginning to something new. Let yourself stand on that precipice.