Vulnerability

I am shy person, however I haven't always been. When I was younger I was very outgoing, I would talk to anyone and I wasn't afraid to do anything. It seems though as I got older my ability to be outgoing, to put myself out there diminished. I wonder if this is the same for other people... I know that when we are young we aren't yet affected by the standards set by society. Our society makes people feel insecure with themselves, whether the way they look, dress, act, talk; and eventually we become so affected by society that we begin to doubt ourselves and are less likely to put ourselves out there. The human race is fragile and because we have intelligence and reason we also have emotion and feeling. Opening ourselves up and putting ourselves out there makes us vulnerable; vulnerable to shame, to fear, to rejection. These emotions and feelings brought on by vulnerability are unwanted and we tend to push them away or do whatever it takes not to feel them. Some people change the way they are and the way they look, so that they will fit into the ideals set forth in our society. Others like myself shy away from situations and other people and things that would cause us to be vulnerable. However, that same vulnerability with all its bad emotions and feelings can cause good ones as well. When we open up to people and put ourselves out there we also connect and fall in love and learn new things. I truly think that if society changes instead of the people in it, then we will all be more confident. If a young girl can look at a magazine and see a woman with curves who exudes confidence then that little girl can grow up and no matter what body type she has she will be confident in her own skin. If a young boy who is questioning his sexuality can see that his gay neighbors are happily married with children of their own then that little boy can grow up and not fear shame and rejection if he decides he's gay. How can we as individuals be vulnerable and have confidence in ourselves when everyday we wake up and the world tells us there is something wrong with who we are, when the world tells us that we have to change?