The Vulnerability Manifesto

Hello everybody and welcome to The V Spot. I'm your host, Andrea Mancuso, founder and CEO of Intentional Healing and Wellness. I created this podcast because I believe vulnerability is our true superpower, and I want to promote a safe space where we can come together and engage in conscious and courageous conversations to encourage individual and collective healing. In The V Spot, we will choose courage over comfort as we speak our truth and pave the way for others to do the same. For each episode, we will unite in empathy and embrace our superpower as we spend quality time together here in the B Spot. Thank you for tuning in.

Hello everyone and welcome to the V Spot. We're a couple of days away from closing out 2021, one of the most challenging years that many of us have ever experienced for so many reasons, some completely obvious and some not so much. The less obvious reasons, those are personal. You know which ones I mean. It's been bittersweet to reflect on how one year can deliver some of the most special and memorable moments while also delivering some of the very sad and devastating moments. Maybe every year is like that, but there's something about 2021 that's causing it to hit differently. If you know me well, you know I'm nostalgic by nature, and this time of year, it always ignites in me the desire to stroll down memory lane and reflect on what so many of us refer to as the good old days. Despite whether or not they're good, that's another story. But maybe it's the smell of the fresh Christmas trees, that crisp feeling in the air, the realization that somehow December is slipping away so quickly and the dawn of a new year is just about here. I don't know, but my end-of-year reflection, it isn't just about looking back. It's very much about being in the moment too. Taking an honest inventory about where I am. And there's a lot of letting go that happens in this particular reflection. Constant reminders of the importance of acceptance, trust, and ultimately unlearning. Each year before I look to where I want to go and what I want to accomplish, I have this really deep conversation with myself and I always face a reality. Andrea, something has to go in order for you to go where you're looking to grow. I didn't know it back then, but I've been going through the process of unlearning since I was a little girl. If you want something that you've never had, you need to do something you've never done. And so I've constantly set things down, hence the unlearning. You know, I know this in theory all throughout the year, But there's something about December that really drives the point home for me. Can any of you relate? But as I said, a reflective December, it's been part of my tradition for as long as I can remember. It probably was handed down to me in some unnamed or unidentified family tradition. I don't know, but I'm grateful for it. And so here I am again. Here you are again. Here we are again, preparing to close out one year and ring in another. You know, 2021 was a year of firsts. There was tremendous risks, lots of changes, challenges, excitement. I definitely chose courage in ways I never thought to be possible. Reconnected with passion. Embraced accountability. Navigated depression with a new sense of awareness. That was different. Experienced loss. Moved through grief. I trusted my creativity the most this year. Followed my vision. Really listened to my intuition. I cried out so much pain, managed a lot of setbacks, and continued to work through tons of uncertainty. It's been a lot of processing reality, holding space for humanity, and discovering me. And that's just some of it. There's so much more. But as we prepare to close out this year, I realized this is the perfect time for me to close out season 1 of the V Spot. You know, this season has absolutely surpassed my wildest dreams. When I think back to the summer of 2021, I had no idea what I would even say on here. I really didn't. I had no clue. I only knew that the platform was something that I wanted and needed to create. And so I trusted myself in new and unbelievable ways. And here we are. Was vulnerability demonstrated thus far? Absolutely. Has the V Spot become a safe space where we speak our truth and pave the way for others to do the same? Without a doubt. And is the podcast supporting individual and collective healing? Well, I'm definitely biased, but from the feedback that I received so far, it sure does. Mission accomplished. And for that, I want to say thank you. Thank you for coming on this journey alongside of me. Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives each week to spend quality time with me here in the V Spot. And thank you for inspiring me to dig deep and go to places within myself that I didn't even know existed. You know, I always thought vulnerability was a superpower when I saw it in other people, but now I without question believe it to be my superpower too. You know, I was a reluctant superhero for a long time though. I'm not going to play myself, but I'm really proud to say that I'm not anymore. My commitment to live a courageous life, it's not an easy one to uphold all the time. The truth is, sometimes I retreat back to hiding because the reality gets that overwhelming. But then I remind myself, Andrea, the magic isn't in the comfort zone. It's time to get uncomfortable again. Many of you may call me crazy, perhaps a glutton for punishment, even a drama queen. And at any given moment, none of that or all of it may actually be true. Hey, I'm honest. But what I now know to be true is that living a life of courage over comfort, it's the most fulfilling journey that I've ever set out on, and it's the most uncomfortable one too. Yes, the risks are plenty, but the rewards, those are far more plentiful. So I encourage you to take a closer look at vulnerability. What's your relationship to it? Ask yourself, how does vulnerability show up in my life? How is it not showing up? In what ways are you hiding? What about choosing comfort over courage? And what about those purposeful risks I speak of? Are you taking any? What does that look like for you? You know, I can go on and on with introspective prompts, but I think you get the point. The call to action here is to get up close and personal with vulnerability. Your own. Not mine. Not somebody else's. Yours. Allow vulnerability to change your life. I promise if you're open to it, it will happen. Now, will it be hard at times? Yes, it absolutely will be. I'm not gonna lie to you, that's not who I am. It will be hard. Will it feel uncomfortable? Yes, it sure will. But that, my friends, that's the glorious point of it all. On purpose and by design. A courageous and vulnerable life. Full of magic and full of surprise. How does that sound? I think it sounds great. As I bring season 1 of the V Spot to a close, I want to share a piece that I recently wrote with you. It feels like a perfect way to close us out. It's entitled The Vulnerability Manifesto. And so it's my hope that this manifesto serves as a guide to everywhere that you're looking to go. The Vulnerability Manifesto. Let this serve as your deepest reminder: you are worthy. And this worth that I speak of It's inherent, already within you, abundant by nature and awaiting your warmest embrace. Allow yourself to be seen time and time again, especially the parts of you you try so hard to hide, for you need not be ashamed. Only empathy resides here. Take the greatest of risks and always, always. And remember, the magic that you seek, it only exists outside of your comfort zone. So be intentional about seeking it out on purpose and with the most courageous courage. There's no way of knowing the outcome. This is unquestionably true. Learn from the uncertainty it presents to teach you. And be sure to breathe. It's not unusual to forget, especially when fear comes to visit. Such an unpleasant guest. It will eventually leave though. Remember, breathe. Express your emotions authentically and true. Release the need to look good and hold it all together. Instead, merely be. Be you. Be free. Keep showing up for yourself, all the more on the days you don't want to. This is when you need yourself most. Don't worry, I vow to remind you. And above everything else, hear this part loud and clear: Your choice to be vulnerable is one of great strength. Despite what many generations once thought, it's a special type of power, one many love to see. Have faith and believe. Let's commit to this lifestyle together and trust, so when the going gets tough, we can remind each other that we're enough. The world needs us now, just as we need ourselves. Go forth and be brave in the most creative of ways. And on the darkest of days and through even darker of nights, remember vulnerability with all of your might. Thank you for tuning in to Season 1 of The V Spot. To be continued. Thank you for spending quality time with me here in the V Spot. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, write a review, and tell a friend to tell a friend to meet us in the V Spot. To stay connected and in the loop about all special events join the email list at www.intentionalhealingandwellness.com. You can also join the Intentional Healing and Wellness community on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I'll catch you soon.