Have you ever held back your feelings because you were afraid they might be too much for someone else? Afraid of taking up space, disappointing people, or becoming a burden?

In this episode of (Un)Learning Out Loud, I sit with a belief I am still learning to unravel. The idea that vulnerability equals inconvenience, and that being strong means carrying everything alone. I am not speaking from a place of having it all figured out. I am speaking from the in-between. From the part of me that is still scared, but also tired of hiding.

Together, we explore where this belief comes from, how it shows up in the body, in relationships, and in silence, and how it often begins long before we have words for it. This is a soft reflection on being the strong one, the listener, the one who adjusts, and what it means to slowly choose honesty instead of isolation.

No quick fixes. No pressure to overshare. Just quiet awareness, compassion for the parts of us that learned to shrink, and a gentle invitation to practice vulnerability in small, safe ways.

If you have ever felt like your feelings were too heavy, or that you were easier to love when you needed nothing, this episode is for you.