If this job writing and editing for Odyssey has taught me anything over the last 6 months, it’s that being vulnerable is threefold: it's scary, it's humbling and it's important.

Pouring out my thoughts, feelings, experiences, challenges, heartbreaks, tears, laughter, and life into my articles has been so rewarding. I don’t even care about the page views or number of shares at this point.

I care about the validity to what I’m telling the world.

I care about the raw.

I care about the real.

I care about the honesty.

I care about the difficult.

I care about the uncomfortable.

I care about being authentic.

I’ve been given a very unique and special platform and I really want to use it wisely. Every week when I sit in front of my computer screen I toy with what to start writing about. I take more time deciding on a topic than I do actually writing it! I’ve come to learn that it’s because I want people to be able to relate to what I’m talking about.

To be honest, I’m partly doing this job for myself. I find it therapeutic and very much like an escape from the craziness going on in the world. But mostly, I’m doing it for you. For the person that takes the time to read what I write. I’ll admit- you scare the hell out of me. (I mean this as a compliment, though.) Every week, when my article is published, I get a little nervous. I don’t know if you’re going to like it, or if it will be taken the wrong way. It’s terrifying sometimes! But then, I get the feedback. An occasional text, comment or Facebook message from someone putting all my worries to bed.

That is the beauty of vulnerability. It helps you grow. YOU are helping me grow. Conscientiously putting yourself into a vulnerable situation is not easy, but it’s vital to our success in life. The world is too complicated for us to play it safe. We need to be taking risks and doing things we never thought we would be able to do. We may surprise ourselves with what we have inside us, just waiting to come out.

Being vulnerable humanizes a person. Letting your guard down, and letting people in is an important part of living life. Sometimes, being vulnerable leads you to finding your passion. I am convinced that one of the crucial elements of achieving happiness is passion. Passion gives you purpose. It pulls you out of bed every morning and makes you reluctant to crawl back into it at night. Passion consumes you in the best way.

If we aren’t passionate about anything or don’t allow ourselves to really care about something, how are we living our lives? We cannot let fear control us. We have this notion in the back of our heads that we may not accomplish anything meaningful. That is fear. Fear is telling you that. Fear is also telling you to not be vulnerable. But what matters most is how you handle and react to that fear. Don’t give in and stop being passionate. Be vulnerable. You have things in your life that you care about for a reason.

So give a damn. Many damns. More damns than anyone.