Brene Brown. She is a hero of mine.
I have always said she changed my life, but when I look back, she didn’t change my life. I did that. Her words helped me, motivated me, and inspired me to change my own life.
I read the words, I did the work.
I learned about vulnerability and courage. While vulnerability did not come easily to me (understatement), I wanted to change my life and in order to do that, I had to embrace it. And doing that took courage.
Being vulnerable is the only way to experience true connection, intimacy, and joy to name a few. But being truly vulnerable also leaves you open to getting hurt. Let’s be honest, getting hurt sucks.
That’s where courage comes in. Dusting yourself off and getting back in the ring. Learning more about yourself each and every time. I didn’t experienced true connection until I got my butt kicked quite a few times.
Each time it took courage to stand back up again, to not give up or become bitter. These moments give us an opportunity to learn valuable lessons about ourselves. And wow, did I have some lessons to learn.
Maybe it’s habits we finally recognize and want to shed. A new sense of who we want to be and what we will no longer put up with. This was all true for me. I figured out that I so desperately wanted to be loved that I would lose myself in an effort to be liked.
My commitment to vulnerability and courage changed my life.
I was tired of being afraid. Afraid of being seen. Better to be a pretend version of myself and not be alone than risk being me and possibly be lonely.
Boy was I wrong. Pretending was like being in prison. And I didn’t realize it until I was “free”. I will forever champion vulnerability and courage. ALWAYS.
Take a chance on getting knocked down. But keep getting back in the ring. It is always worth it.
Freedom vs. an emotional prison. What are you choosing?
Feeling trapped? Stuck or overwhelmed? It just takes a small step to start making changes. Let me help you.
