Why Letting Your Guard Down Can Be The Most Powerful Thing You Ever Do

Why Letting Your Guard Down Can Be The Most Powerful Thing You Ever Do ©iStock/keira01

Letting your guard down to let others get close to you can be terrifying, especially when you’ve been hurt before. The truth is, most of us can’t just dive right in, either — we generally need to be cautious and do it step-by-step. When it comes to letting your guard down, the effort is worth it — and it could just be the most powerful thing you do

  1. It’s on your terms. Sometimes huge forces of change are the type that we didn’t ask for. That can still be great, but it can also be challenging. But for the small moments, you get to choose, and they generally hurt less and you feel more in charge of your own life because of it.
  2. Small moments feel personal to others. When you choose to let your guard down with a guy, it’s a special gift you’re giving just to him, or at least to this phase of your life that he happens to be in. That feels good to people, and he may just return the favor.
  3. Small changes pave the way for big ones. You’re probably not going to jump on stage the first day you realize that you want to be a standup comedian, but if you get in the habit of keeping notes in your phone when you think of something funny, before long you’ll see a pattern start to emerge that one day might be your first act.
  4. It doesn’t have to be permanent. If you let your guard down if someone and then realize that it probably wasn’t a good idea, you can always backtrack and be on your way elsewhere. Being guarded can protect you, but it can also keep you from good things in life.
  5. Life is just a collection of small moments. Where would we be without those moments where the light hits a certain way and we’re just simply grateful to be alive because you’re open to the beauty of the universe? You might not remember those specifically 10 years out, but in the moment, their power was palpable.
  6. It can be more pointed. Getting into a relationship at all can be seen as letting your guard down in a lot of ways. Finally admitting something about yourself to a man that you’ve never revealed can make an even bigger impact on both of you and strengthen your relationship.
  7. You get to enjoy that feeling of lightening up over and over again. When you let down your guard, you feel free, and like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. When you do it a little bit at a time each day, you get to feel that each day, as well.
  8. We learn to see vulnerability as a strength. When we let our guard down in small ways and then realize that nothing goes wrong, we might even see that things start to go pretty right. It’s a more comfortable way to realize that being a little uncomfortable can actually feel good.
  9. The small stuff builds our commitment to ourselves. A lot of our vulnerabilities boil down to our fears about committing to ourselves and what we need to do to actually make meaningful changes. Letting down our guard in any facet can help us to trust our choices.
Kate Ferguson is a Los Angeles local and freelance writer for a variety of blog and magazine genres. When she's not writing, the UC Davis graduate is focused on pursuits of the entertainment industry, spin class, and hot sauce. Look for article links, updates, (and the occasional joke) on Twitter @KateFerg or @WriterKateFerg, or check out her personal blog ThatsRandomKate.blogspot.com
close-link
close-link
close-link
close-link