So I have a confession to make… I have a crush.
yup, it’s true. I have a big time, therapist crush on researcher Brene Brown!
It’ ok, I already told my husband and we’re working through it.
Seriously though, Brene Brown has researched and written about one of the most crucial aspects of every human relationship- vulnerability. It is the key to being able to fully love and connect with those around us. What she has begrudgingly discovered is that to find the greatest joy in life we also must make ourselves vulnerable to and embrace the heartache, fear, and pain that comes with being open to life.
Check out her TED talk to learn more about her research {she’s a great storyteller!} You may also be interested in her books, The Gift of Imperfection and Daring Greatly.
Some of my favorite thoughts from her talk…
- The bottom line is that you can’t selectively numb feelings. To numb hard feelings is to turn off joy, love, passion, connection…. you know, all the really good stuff! Vulnerability is the key to connection.
- Children come into the world hardwired for struggle. Struggle is in our DNA… it is part of the purpose of our lives but it’s scary and it is the thing we most want to protect our kids from. But the greatest gift we can give our kids is not protection from struggle but the confidence that they can fail and stumble and still be worthy of love.
- It’s a scary idea to embrace the pain of life- especially as a parent- but it is the only path to truly embracing the joy and love that life has to offer.
