daring greatly

If you haven't read Daring Greatly by Dr. Brené Brown, I highly recommend it. I've read it three times now, and each time I learn a little bit more about the importance of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable if we want to live a more joyful and authentic life. We have unfortunately become really good at shaming and judging others, while we simultaneously hide our own vulnerabilities so that we won't be shamed and judged in return. However, Dr. Brown's research shows that having the courage to be vulnerable is actually one of the biggest keys to avoiding the exact shame and judgement we fear so much. In other words, what we tend to avoid the most (vulnerability), is the exact thing that frees us the most. 
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"If we are going to find our way out of shame and back to each other, vulnerability is the path and courage is the light. To set down those lists of *what we're supposed to be* is brave. To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly." 
​-Brené Brown