Vulnerability & Courage (DAY 31)
You may be familiar with the amazing work by Brene Brown, a bestselling author and research professor at the University of Houston. Brown has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. She's the author of #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, and Braving the Wilderness.
A few quotes from this short video:
“Don’t walk though this world looking for evidence that you don’t belong or that ‘you’re not enough’ because you’ll always find it. Our worth and our belonging are not negotiated with other people; we carry those inside our hearts.”
“Vulnerability is defined as uncertainty, risk and exposure. Can you name ONE ACT OF COURAGE that didn’t involve uncertainty, risk and exposure? If you think you’re being brave and it doesn’t involve risk or uncertainty, you’re not being that brave!”
“It’s not the critic who counts... The credit belongs to the person who’s actually in the arena; whose face is marred in blood, sweat and dust. Who, at the best — in the end — knows the triumph of high achievement; and at worst — if he fails — he fails daring greatly. It is not about winning or losing, it’s about showing up and being seen.
“If COURAGE is a value that we hold, then this is the consequence… The Universe may be telling you, ‘Your armor is keeping you from growing into the gifts I’ve given you.’ Everything we thought is protecting us, is keeping us from being the partners, parents, professionals, the people we want to be. You have a choice: you can replace the armor with something — curiosity.”
“Become CURIOUS about yourself and the world. Curiosity is the SUPERPOWER for the second half of our lives — it keeps us learning, keeps us asking questions, and increases our self awareness.”
“Creatives have this incredible ability — when they find the CONFIDENCE — to be able to find beauty and value to be a part of a creative community. But also the courage to stand alone.” [I suggest extending this to ALL people not just “creatives”].
Lastly, she talks about the value of being a part of a group and a community, “but don’t ever believe for a second that you are not going to have to stand on your own.”
“The whole idea of the ‘wilderness being those times when we stand alone’ and those times when we go out on a limb, ‘BRAVING’ is the tool to help us manage the wilderness.”
“There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and we’ll doubt our ability to make our way through the uncertainty. Someone, somewhere will say, ‘Don’t do it. You don’t have what it takes to survive the wilderness.’ This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself, ‘I am the wilderness.’”
If your relationship with alcohol is keeping you stuck in any area of your life: your relationships (with your spouse, kids, parents, friends, boss, coworkers); your career; or your finances. If it’s holding you back from reaching that next promotion, or you’re numbing with alcohol to avoid facing difficult emotions, there are so many options out there! You don’t have to do it alone.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out for a confidential 1:1 call. This is a judgment-free zone to examine your relationship with alcohol and I’d be honored to help you take the next step in this journey.
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