November 22, 2023

Embracing Vulnerability: The Unseen Struggle Behind Success

Your Vulnerability is your strength and your Strength is your Vulnerability.

A quote I read a lot in 2018.

I know that’s hard to understand but when you embrace it without judgment that’s when you truly grow.

I know up until now you have not wanted to reveal those vulnerable parts to anyone in case you got taken advantage of and that would jeopardise your success. You see when you desire fulfillment beyond material achievements that is what is required of you.

To uncover the rage, the hurt, the resentment, guilt and shame is the first step and the next step is to express these feelings.

When you do this you stop aspiring for fulfillment that transcends multiple achievements and experience this JOY instead.

In your world where success is often measured by material wealth and social stature, there lies a hidden dimension of internal strife that you rarely allow to surface so it is in the public eye. This article is for you if you are an Innovative Leader, Visionary Entrepreneur, Disruptive Innovator or Strategic Thinker.  You are very familiar with the façade you put on of triumph which masks all the tension, trauma and tragedy that you have experienced in your life. And of course this internal struggle is deeply personal and all too real. However when you admit to and accept this  tension, trauma and tragedy that is when you embrace vulnerability and you can only do that when you start expressing and exploring the tension, trauma and tension to individuals you trust. You then realise that contrary to popular belief, vulnerability is not a weakness but a profound strength that serves as a catalyst for you to experience true fulfilment.

The Facade of Achievement

As a high performer and a high achiever you are an epitome of success, yet behind your glittering smile you shine in public and your confident composure, there is this unspoken truth. You have reached dizzying heights when it comes to what you have achieved as a serial entrepreneur or the innovative leader that you are. Yet you still find that there’s this inner void, this sense of feeling deeply unfulfilled and you know deep down that no number of accolades and achievements can fill.

The Void the Wealthy know 

Wealth has long been synonymous with happiness. Yet you as an  wealthy individual find yourself grappling with this void, this emptiness that all this money cannot assuage. The pursuit of more achievements in this Busy Work Life that you live is burning you out and leading to this silent crisis where  you are sacrificing your well being at the altar of success.

The Reluctant Seeker

You have most of your life invested in personal development courses but  have been reluctant and hesitant to seek what you are being drawn to. To dive into the depths of your psyche.

This means you cannot just dabble in spirituality but instead you need to fully embrace your vulnerability because this will lead you to attain fulfillment and meaningful growth. It is this fear of your vulnerabilities being exposed that stifles your path to true self-awareness.

Personal Relationships: The Unspoken Casualties

The internal conflict inside you extends beyond you and impacts  all those close to you. You hiding your trauma, tension and tragedy keeps you distant from those close to you. If you are married or in a long term relationship that is the relationship you feel the distant and discontent most profoundly.

You try to deny this distance or think that another achievement will fill the void and make you feel more connected. But no achievement can do this for you.  You know deep down what is really missing  in your life is your ability to really connect with your loved ones and yourself.  Emotionally resonant relationships are essential for a life that is genuinely fulfilled. You know that.

Neglected Well-being: A Silent Crisis

Your relentless drive for success has meant you neglect your psychological and physical health and this has led to a life where your success and high performance is a veneer hiding a well of unaddressed health issues.

Motivations, Fears, and Barriers

Understanding the motivations and fears that anchor your superficial approach to personal development is critical. Identifying what stops you from admitting and accepting and embracing your vulnerability is the first step in crafting a strategy that encourages genuine self-reflection and growth.

The Path to True Fulfillment

True fulfilment for you who have such a Busy Work Life  comes from internal peace and satisfaction, not external validation. Embracing vulnerability happens when you start admitting and expressing your trauma and tension and tragedy to yourself and to those you trust. This you can only do when you embark on the Identity Alchemy journey and start exploring all your relationships in detail. This journey is not a quick fix but a deeply transformative journey which leads to lasting self-awareness and contentment aka fulfilment.

Conclusion

The pursuit of success, when balanced with deep inner exploration and the courage to be vulnerable, leads to a life that is truly successful. As a visionary Entrepreneur and you as a leaders, the Strategic Thinker and Innovative Leader I invite you, to take that brave first step and dive into your psyche to  uncover the strength in vulnerability.

FAQs:

  • What is the connection between vulnerability and personal growth for successful individuals? Embracing vulnerability is the first step that leads to real personal growth and genuine self-awareness and it means you go beyond the superficialness of personal development. Understanding this connection is so important for you, you who have already achieved so much success and it looks like that outwardly but does not feel like that inwardly.
  • How can successful individuals manage stress and prevent burnout? Balancing a busy work-life by engaging in regular self care, slowing down and simplifying is crucial to managing the high amounts of stress you as a high performer hold and this prevents burnout.
  • Why do wealthy individuals struggle with internal fulfilment? Wealth and the accumulation of it distracts you from the emptiness you feel within. The distraction is temporary and short lived and leaves you feeling unfulfilled internally. There are other areas of your life which require your attention and by focussing on those you will not have this struggle.
  • How can embracing vulnerability improve personal and professional relationships? Vulnerability paves the way for stronger, more genuine relationships in both personal and professional spheres. You establish a real connection a more rounded connection because you are sharing your whole self.
  • What first steps can innovative leaders take to start exploring their inner struggles? When you can make Space in your busy calendar for yourself that is the first step. Stop doing and start being present to your breath. That is the first step. Then by sitting and listening to your breath come in and out that is the second step. Commit to this activity every day for one minute for a week. Increase the minute to two minutes the following week. Note the thoughts and feelings that arise. After the third week sit for three minutes and each week sit for an extra minute until after 6 weeks you notice your life is at a more relaxed pace. Using a physical or digital journal to note your thoughts is really useful. If you find this exploring is a lonely journey and you want to reflect with another individual who will not judge you, you want a human witness. Perhaps it is time for you to book a Consultation with me or another Consultant works therapeutically. Be discerning who you choose as many are intimidated by your success. You want someone who is brave to highlight your blind spots and is not dazzled by your fame and fortune. 
taniyahussain34

taniyahussain34

Taniya Hussain qualified as a Social Worker in 1991 from Coventry University in England, UK. She has been working on the front lines in London UK, consistently holding space for individuals and families in chaos and crisis for three decades especially, children and young people on the margins of society. Taniya studied Psycho-dynamic counselling from 1991 to 1993 at Goldsmiths College in London. Taniya met Sheikha Halima Krausen in 1992 and has been studying Islam with her ever since especially Mystical Islam, Tassawuf (Sufism) and walks on the Chisti path. Taniya fuses Jungian Pyschology and Islamic Psychology and this fusion can best be understood if you read her book Dancing with Darkness which is available on Amazon. It became a Best Seller on Amazon in the UK, U.S and France in April 2025. The book tells the story of Tamara Alvi, a fictional charachter and is a psychological thriller and a story of healing. Taniya started her coaching and consulting business in January 2018 and she works mainly with High Achievers and High Performers and High Performing Leaders, offering reflective spaces since 2018 and what she refers to as THE REFLECTIVE SPACE. Taniya since starting her busines discovered that she is a powerful healer and was shocked that clients were relieved from pain even though they have been diagnosed with a chronic illness. Taniya is delighted to have discovered Paceology, which is the detailed study of PACE. She is the first paceologist. She noticed when working with high performers when you slow down in one area of your life, this causes you to speed up in another area and vice cersa thus leading to increased levels of productivity, creativity, clarity and energy. She brands herself as the Muslim Alchemist because she really is The Muslim Alchemist as she guides you to transfom the base, in other words the shit that you have experienced into GOLD whether that is love of yourself or God or another human being or a healthier body or a life where you feel at peace and calm and fulfilled or more energy or more money. You definintely will feel lighter, more freer and more clearer even if you book one consultation with her or several sessions. Taniya has a very holistic approach when working with individuals and works with you on multiple layers, the emotional, the psychological, the social, the physical, the mental and the spriritual. She uses stories from the Quran and the Bible when working with clients on a one to one basis or in group workshops as well as breathwork, body scanning, cognitive behavioural therapy, neuro linguistic programming, motivational interviewing. systems theory, neuro science. She is trained in multiple modalities as well as using her own Paceology and insists on offering her clients a trauma informed and trauma responsive service. She is constantly integrating her knowledge of the Quran and Bible with her vast social work experience and training. Taniya's extensive ability of applying psycho-dynamic theory to organisational settings, teams and groups as well as to individuals results in those who attend her sessions or workshops as feeling lighter and more energised. Taniya uses skillfully her understanding of the Shadow, that Jung constantly talked about and her Mystical Training. She also has integrated her passion for inter-faith dialogue and the archetypes that Jung often refers to, come alive in her one to one sessions and her group workshops thus resulting in individuals feeling more freer and fulfilled after they stop working with her. Taniya just does not provide clarity she WAKES you up to. Taniya has a great skill in being able to see the blind spots in others and does this in a non judgemental way and a way that you feel safe. She also "untangles energetic knots" (a term she uses for Shadow) in your body to promote healing from mental and physical disease. Clients usually are healed in a short amount of time because she pinpoints the memory, the event, the thought that first caused the disease. She also provides one to one sessios or training workshops to social work teams, school, secure and prison estate on youth justice, knife crime prevention as well asidentification and prevention of early onset of burnout. Taniya has three sons, who were born in 1996, 2001 and 200 and lives in Surrey, England and when she is not coaching or writing songs, blogs and poems, she loves to spend time, travelling, walking, listening to music, watching films or playing cricket. She speaks fluent English and Urdu and basic German and French and is learning Arabic and Hebrew.

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