Deep Thoughts

When I love something in a book I take a picture of it. I usually will take a picture or two, but as I read Daring Greatly by Brene Brown I took a LOT of pictures. There was a lot of wisdom in this book! I thought I would share some of my favorite nuggets of wisdom she shared. I hope you get as much out of it as I did!

"Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think 'No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.' It's going to bed at night thinking 'Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn't change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging."

***

"Vulnerability is the core of all emotions and feelings. To feel is to be vulnerable. To believe vulnerability is weakness is to believe that feeling is weakness. To foreclose on our emotional life out of a fear that the costs will be too high is to walk away from the very thing that gives purpose and meaning to living."

***

"I define vulnerability as uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. With that definition in mind, let's think about love. Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can't ensure, who may stay in our lives or may leave without a moment's notice, who may be loyal to the day they die or betray us tomorrow - that's vulnerability. Love is uncertain. It's incredibly risky. And loving someone leaves us emotionally exposed. Yes, it's scary and yes, we're open to being hurt, but can you imagine your life without loving or being loved?"

***

"To put our art, our writing, our photography, our ideas out into the world with no assurance of acceptance or appreciation - that's also vulnerability. To let ourselves sink into the joyful moments of our lives even though we know that they are fleeting, even though the world tells us not to be too happy lest we invite disaster - that's an intense form of vulnerability."

***

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly..."
- Theodore Roosevelt -

***

"I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness... We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room for both. We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first; then with each other."

***

My hope for you, dear readers, is to know you are worthy. To practice compassion with yourself first, then others. To sink into the joy of each moment and savor it. Truly be present. Be vulnerable. It's scary and uncertain and risky, but it leads to the deepest connections and the greatest love. You will make mistakes. You will fall down. That just means you are in the arena. That just means you are daring greatly.