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inspiration: brene brown on being vulnerable


IAM FEELING PLENTY VULNERABLE, with publication date for “And I Shall Have Some Peace There” less than a month away. Three years into this “new” life, I a lot of what my days have been about so far is being at once vulnerable, afraid, and also wildly excited–and trying to wrangle that Hydra of feelings so that the latter doesn’t get choked to death by the first two. I first watched this TEDxHouston talk by Dr. Brene Brown last fall, and stashed it away for a refresher course right about now.

Dr. Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work focusing on sometimes-gnarly topics like vulnerability, courage, authenticity and shame, is the author of “The Gifts of Imperfection: Letting Go of Who We Think We Should Be and Embracing Who We Are” (Hazelden, 2010). You can get a good introduction on her blog, which is well-named Ordinary Courage [dot] com.

To learn more about TED, a nonprofit dedicated to “ideas worth spreading,” and its affiliated TEDx satellite conferences, visit its website, once of my regular haunts (as we’ve talked about before).

  1. Leslie says:

    What an enormous gift you have given us today with this wisdom and these words. I am passing Brene Brown’s talk on to every community possible. Thank you, Margaret, for sharing the healing.

    1. Margaret says:

      You are welcome, Leslie. I have watched it every so often since it was first posted months ago, and am so glad to share it now with you and yours. One of the exciting side-effects of having the book coming out, and the book website as a result, is that all this non-gardening stuff I have stockpiled over here is now share-able. :)

  2. Leslie says:

    Margaret-
    I’m so looking forward to other bits of wisdom you have come across over the years. Obviously if you bought this land, and have become it’s guardian, you have been through some enlightening experiences! Tx again.

  3. Lorene says:

    Oh my… perfect timing. Thank you so much for the new post-it note that’s going up by my writing desk:
    “Courage: tell the story of who you are with your whole heart”
    I’ll put it right next to the one that says “I don’t have to be who I’ve always been or stay afraid of the things that have always scared me” — Katrina Kenison.

    Margaret you are doing very good work. Thank you so very, very much.

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