Leaders, workers, and parents want courage, compassion, and connection. Daring Greatly. [Book]

Truth is a powerful thing. I’m not sure when that became one of my “things to say” but I’m saying it now as I read Dare Greatly by Brené Brown. The Introduction begins with her own story of vulnerability which leads me to want her as one of my BFFs. Just like that.

Brené (we’re now on a first name basis) describes being vulnerable as excruciating. Such suffering, a reasonable person concludes, is to be avoided. One way is to hide behind facades. She describes so well the developmental roller-coaster of being “the good girl,” then the partier, then the angry activist, then… The description of this “journey” would be cliché, practically boring, if it didn’t hurt so much to recall my own.

Rushing to a Little League game, I’ll need to leave my narrative mode and move swiftly to my beloved bullets. Here are a few highlights from the introduction. Some are verbatim while others are my paraphrases.

Those of us inclined to a huge heart and ready empathy can expect life to be messy.
Connection is why we’re here.

 

Wholehearted people cultivate authenticity, self-compassion, resilience, gratitude & joy, intuition & trusting faith, creativity, play & rest, calm & stillness, meaningful work, laugher, song, & dance.

 

Whole hearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness, cultivating courage, compassion, and connection.

 

We all need to love and belong. When we don’t, we suffer.

 

Those who feel lovable, who love, and who experience belonging simply believe they are worthy of love and belonging.

 

Vulnerability is a catalyst for courage, compassion, and connection.

 

The willingness to be vulnerable is the single clearest value shared by all of the women and men whom are described as Wholehearted.

 

Leaders, parents, workers, the core issues are the same: fear, disengagement, and yearning for more courage.

For the first post in this series, read Dare Greatly Man In The Arena. To keep abreast of this series, click the Daring Greatly tag on the sidebar. Next up: Chapter 1 Scarcity: Looking Inside Our Culture of “Never Enough”

What are your thoughts and experiences with living a wholehearted life? If you are reading the book, what are your take-aways? Chime in anytime!

Wholeheartedly ~~~~~~~~ Angie Mc