Becoming a Wholehearted Person

Connection is why we are here, it gives purpose and meaning to our lives.

Today I want to share a brilliant video with you from Brene Brown speaking about emotional health. Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, and gave a TED talk which I found particularly inspiring.  I love this woman's honesty, humor & hope for healing; what she shared really struck a chord with me and I would love to hear your thoughts on her speech.

The crux of Brown's discussion focuses on the struggle to accept the necessity of vulnerability in our lives in order to love ourselves, love others & connect with people.

She touches on shame, a feeling many people struggle with, as the fear of disconnection; the thought that "If other people see this or know this about me, I won't be worthy of connection," (haven't we all felt that way?) but then leads into a powerful awakening of the role that courage plays in junction with vulnerability. I found the original definition of courage very compelling:

Courage: to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.

Wow, how many of you have thought of courage in this way? To be wholehearted then means to have the courage to be imperfect, to fully embrace vulnerability.

Take a moment to watch Brown's speech on the video below, and please comment, what does vulnerability mean to you? Do you struggle with shame? What in your life do you strive to be courageous about?