Brené Brown is a researcher with an extraordinary gift of teaching about the power of vulnerability that resides within us all. She should as she spent a decade in researching how it impacts everyone’s daily lives. But after all of the stories she heard, she still managed to pull out the one illuminating (and frustrating) factor that differentiated people: whether they had the capacity to believe that they felt worthy. But being the logical person that she is, she struggled with such an intangible finding. She struggled so much that she herself had a moment of crisis, otherwise known as a breakdown. And she had to do the one thing that she never thought she’d have to do: talk to a therapist who could help her work through her “spiritual awakening”.
Embracing your vulnerabilities is probably the single hardest thing that you’ll ever have to do. No one wants to admit to imperfection, especially the kind of imperfection that is not socially acceptable in our society. Fear, shame, despair…they’re all signs of weaknesses that we don’t approve of. But even Brené found that you’ll never become stronger if you don’t willingly embrace these “faults” or vulnerabilities. Most psychologists seem to agree that acceptance of who we are is one of the foundations for self improvement. You won’t fix what you won’t even accept as true. But truth is never filled with perfection, because there is little in life that is perfect. So, there’s no reason to beat ourselves up the way that we do.
Our hearts are what allows our brains to accept the imperfect, the seemingly impossible, and even that which we don’t want to accept. It’s the light that shines from our hearts that allows our brains to truly “see” what our heart sees. Vulnerability isn’t easy, but it is necessary.
So, repeat after Brené: I AM ENOUGH! I am worthy. I am ready. Wholeheartedly ready.
p.s. Read more about Brené on the TED blog.
