There is no greater threat to the critics and cynics than those of us who are willing to fall because we have learned how to rise.
Catalog
Brené Brown
Brené Brown (born November 18, 1965) is an American scholar, author, and public speaker, who is currently a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Over the last fifteen years she has been involved in research on a range of topics, including vulnerability, courage, shame, and empathy. She is the author of three #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection (2010), Daring Greatly (2012), and Rising Strong (2015). She and her work have been featured on PBS, NPR, TED, and CNN. 2Early life and education Brown was born in San Antonio, Texas and spent a formative period in New Orleans, Louisiana. Brown was baptized in the Episcopal church and then later brought up Catholic. She left the church for two decades, and later returned to it with her husband and children. She completed her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at the University of Texas at Austin in 1995, followed by a Master of Social Work (MSW) in 1996 and Ph.D. from the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston in 2002. 2Career Brown began her career as a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her research focuses on authentic leadership and wholeheartedness in families, schools, and organizations. She presented a 2012 TED talk and two 2010 TEDx talk
Integrity is choosing courage over comfort. It's choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy. It's choosing to practice your values rather than simply professing them.
This is why true belonging is a function of courage and vulnerability. Being who we are is about making brave choices. All day long.
True belonging doesn't require that we change who we are; it requires that we be who are.
The fullest measure of respect that we can show our country is activism - our courage to take a stand or a knee to fight injustice.
Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness.
Empathy is the skill or ability to tap into our own experiences in order to connect with an experience someone is relating to us. Compassion is the willingness to be open to this process.
Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth. Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It's a shield.
Cruelty is cheap, easy, and rampant. It's also chicken-shit.
Worthiness doesn't have prerequisites.
If we want to fully experience love and belonging, we must belive that we are worthy of love and belonging.
Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.
I now see how the work of cultivating and letting go that shows up in the 10 guideposts is not "to-do list" material. It's not something we accomplish or acquire and then check off our list. It's life work. It's soul work.
The universe is not short on wake-up calls. We're just quick to hit the snooze button.
Knowledge is important, but only if we're being kind and gentle with ourselves as we work to discover who we are.
I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.
We can’t selectively numb emotion. Numb the dark and you numb the light.
We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.
Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.
Shame loses power when it is spoken.