Why We Crave Love but Fear Vulnerability

PRATIMA SHARMA

Would you believe if I tell you that your present relationship is influenced by how much affection and love you received in the times you were growing up as a child, and what experiences you had while you were turning into adulthood?

I'm sure we all have once found ourselves in spaces where we wanted a deep emotional connection, but when someone was getting closer, we pulled back because of the fear that has been buried so well that it gets triggered when someone actually is willing to appreciate us with all our flaws and insecurities.

Being brave, carrying everything alone, not with willingness, but the harsh realities that we struggled to overcome back then. We do want closeness, but a part of us is unsure if it is safe to be honest because our past never reciprocated things. And we leave it like that, and to console our discomfort, we say to ourselves that relationships will find us only when we're ready, which includes protecting our vulnerability with ambitions and the time we gain financial stability, despite craving meaningful connections.

But I want you to know that sometimes we are not reacting to the person or situation in front of us, but to the parts of our past that still live within us, left unprocessed, leaving an impression and convincing ourselves that reality lies just there. But are we really sure? We will never know what lies behind the giant forest until we reach there.

This is a reminder that until and unless you take responsibility for taking a step forward, you will never heal. It is okay to recognize the patterns we hold that act like protection, and it's alright, I understand, while breaking very firm old beliefs and experiences, we fear things because they seem unfamiliar. We want to be vulnerable, but at the same time, we are scared of what might happen if we are. But until and unless we try, we will never know what will happen next. I encourage everyone reading this to break your old patterns that are stopping you from growing, and if you don't, you're going to hold so many regrets as you grow old. The right person may stay, but real closeness grows when we begin to understand ourselves, not just wait to be understood. It is okay to carry a past that shaped you, and it is also okay to grow beyond it. The patterns you learned were once ways to protect yourself, but they do not have to decide how you love today. Sometimes, healing begins when we allow ourselves to be seen, even if it feels unfamiliar. Until and unless we're fragile, we'll never understand the depth. You know what to do next.