True Confessions... Kicking off and Daring Greatly

Welcome to a Sneak Preview of our Summer Blog Book Club that begins Monday, July 1. It is my pleasure and delight to introduce our latest selection, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown. This summer we are going to dare greatly and get vulnerable, beginning right here and now. 

True confession time... You may or may not know that I'm a trained psychotherapist who switched the focus of my practice to professional coaching a few years ago. During my time as a therapist, I intentionally chose not to apply to be a provider for insurance companies. One of the principal reasons was because I seriously dislike the practice of diagnosing (i.e. labeling people). While I believe having categories for treatment can be helpful, in my experience, giving someone a label often proves to be more of a crutch than benefit. Having a label can give an excuse for behavior rather than helping move toward healing and fuller living.

But I digress and I promised you a 'confession'... As I was reading my selected chapter for the book club that begins with talk about our current narcissistic culture, I began to feel a bit uncomfortable with and {gasp} distrust for the brilliant Ms. Brown's perceived labeling. My own chest puffed up as I thought maybe I knew better than she, thereby demonstrating my own version of grandiosity. It's such a brilliant mirror image—acting narcissistic while reading about narcissists. There was a time in my life when I would have rather crawled into a closet than 'out' my own inner thoughts. Being vulnerable means having a willingness to bring potentially shameful thoughts into the light.

After my brief internal dialogue and wondering how I could support this 'label-slinging' author (or admit to my own critical thoughts), I turned the page. In one swift moment, I remembered why I love Brené's work so much and the reasons we chose this book. She always makes me think. She is a helluva researcher. She practices what she teaches—vulnerability.  

“Labeling the problem in a way that makes it about who people are rather than the choices they’re making lets all of us off the hook: Too bad. That’s who I am. I’m a huge believer in holding people accountable for their behaviors, so I’m not talking about “blaming the system” here. I’m talking about understanding the root cause so we can address the problems.”  Brené Brown

It was like she’d peeked into my inner thoughts and knew what I was thinking, then replied appropriately… And that, my friends, is why I am highly recommending you not only follow our book club posts, but also actually read the book! Brené is one smart and accessible human being. Her work resonates with millions (including me) and my hunch is that it will with you too!

So, what would it look like for you to get vulnerable this summer? Maybe it’s sharing your own “true confessions” like I just did… sometimes I think I’m smarter than everyone else. (Kinda scary to put out there, but I'm trusting you'll still respect me). Or perhaps it sounds more like… Will they still like me if they really know _______ about me?

This summer, we can read, play, laugh, cry and discover what it means to dare greatly and see how being vulnerable transforms lives! I hope you’ll join us!!

 On the Same Page hosted by The Wayfinder Post

Check out the schedule here.