Wednesday April 9, 2014 For the first time in more than two centuries, the "Dying Gaul" has travelled from Rome's Musei Capitolini outside of Italy—to the National Gallery in Washington, DC. It is a magnificent statue of a warrior facing his death, a man facing his ultimate destiny. This news made me reflect that word "vulnerability" comes from the Latin "vulnus," which means wound. And standing in front of the Gaul's wound carved from ancient Roman marble I am reminded of some great words on the subject by David Whyte. "We are not Kings and Queens of the World..." "...Any real conversation involves vulnerability. There is no real conversation, without vulnerability. If you think especially in intimate relationships, there's no way we can advance a marriage, a partnership by having one person have the answer and the other just receive the information and change accordingly. And we change in relationships by admitting a few things about ourselves and inspired by that vulnerability the other person admits a few things too. And then because you've got into the spirit of things, I then admit a few more things and we get there together. And we get there through this mutually arrange opening, where we understand we are not kings or queens of the world and that we have untoward effects on other people and we have untoward effects on ourselves. Sometimes the perspective that a partner gives us has to do with the way we sabotage ourselves actually and all of the real work, the real advancing of maturity and of character happen through understanding where we limp, where we are not quite there, not quite present, where we missed a beat .....the vulnerability in leadership is associated with not knowing. And therefore being able to invite others in to help us; to invite other intellects, other eyes and ears, other perspectives. In other words to help carry a whole project along or to help carry us along in our lonely life of responsibility." David Whyte | 
