Daring Greatly

This book challenges us to be brave and backs it up with ample research to show us how our lives can be so much bigger than we ever thought possible when we dare to step into the arena and get dirty with our lives. Not only does this book resonate deeply in my soul and wake me up to the possibility that my life is just as valuable and worthy as anyone else’s but she has a Netflix talk about this work and it is guaranteed to fire you up and light a spark under you to get moving! There… show more.

A few years ago, I had just come off stage after delivering a keynote and was grabbing my luggage to rush to the airport to catch my flight. Well, I missed my flight, and it was worth it. The moment I heard the speaker after me, I was riveted. I’d never heard of her, but I had to stay. I had to listen. I had to meet her backstage in the greenroom. The speaker? Brené Brown. 

Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly perfectly defines the shift we have seen in recent generations. Where vulnerability was once perceived as weakness, Brown portrays how… show more.

In this book, Brené Brown blends her personal experience with extensive clinical research to give us a roadmap for making courageous choices, specifically around vulnerability. If you missed her TedX talk, go watch it immediately. You’ll instantly get a sense of how wickedly smart and acutely aware she is of her own humanity. And that’s what I love about her and this book because she does the same thing here. I found myself often nodding my head, smiling, with her observations, and inspired to live more courageously. She gave me permission and, in fact, enthusiastic encouragement to play an even… show more.

As a newbie psychologist, I was once in a workshop with much more advanced therapists. One of them (Jack, whom I revered) volunteered to do some personal work, and he laid down on the floor, literally supported by others—hands under his head, under his feet… I got assigned to support his elbow, because I was too chicken to volunteer early, ashamed of my inexperience, afraid of the potential vulnerability—his and mine.

Jack did some profound emotional work, and I was so moved that I (silently, embarrassedly) bawled. Like, a river of snot running down my face, red swollen eyes.... as… show more.

Of all of Brene’s books, I found this one to be the most inspired, the most “yes, I have to do this thing I’ve been wanting to do”. Rising Strong is a necessary follow-up, and Daring Greatly is her best. It’s not the critic who counts...

Vulnerability is synonymous with courage. Rather than running from, stuffing, or numbing our experiences, those accompanying emotions of fear, disappointment, and grief are foundational for love, belonging, creativity, empathy, innovation, and joy. The key to being whole is finding peace and value in the painful, ugly, and less-than-perfect areas of ourselves. Healthy people create healthy homes, businesses, neighborhoods, and nations. Courageous vulnerability is the door to lives of purpose and meaning. Daring Greatly is a deep dive into embracing our authentic selves and building genuine community. And, okay, anything by Brené Brown is worth the investment of time and… show more.