Rising Strong – Brené Brown

“When we stop caring what people think, we lose our capacity for connection. But when we are defined by what people think, we lose the courage to be vulnerable. The solution is getting totally clear on the people whose opinions actually matter.”

I LOVED this book! I finished it on the plane headed to SXSW and then saw Dr. Brené Brown speak at that conference the next day. She received the #SXSW2016 “Speaker of the Event” Award. Well deserved.

“Every part of the rising strong practice points to these questions: Can we lean in to the vulnerability of emotion and stand in our truth? Are we willing to lean in to the initial discomfort of curiosity and creativity so we can be braver with our lives? Do we have the courage to rumble with our story?”

Brené Brown brings so much of herself, her family, her experiences to her books and to her talks. She lives the concept of living in truth – our own truth. Spending time with her book was a positive and life affirming experience and I highly recommend it. She ends the book with this:

MANIFESTO OF THE BRAVE AND BROKENHEARTED

There is no greater threat to the critics and cynics and fearmongers
Than those of us who are willing to fall
Because we have learned how to rise

With skinned knees and bruised hearts;
We choose owning our stories of struggle,
Over hiding, over hustling, over pretending.

When we deny our stories, they define us.
When we run from struggle, we are never free.
So we turn toward truth and look it in the eye.

We will not be characters in our stories.
Not villains, not victims, not even heroes.

We are the authors of our lives.
We write our own daring endings.

We craft love from heartbreak,
Compassion from shame,
Grace from disappointment,
Courage from failure.

Showing up is our power.
Story is our way home.
Truth is our song.
We are the brave and brokenhearted.
We are rising strong.