VIDEO: The power of vulnerability.

This video is 20 minutes long, or roughly 14 years long in Youtube video terms. But, I assure you, it is worth it.

Lately, I’ve felt the invitation to be vulnerable extended to me in a number of different ways. Frankly, I find the term “vulnerability” a bit terrifying. In this clip from the TED conference, Brene Brown unpacks what it means to live with vulnerability and why it’s so important. If you don’t have time to watch it, here are some highlights:

1. The original definition of courage was “to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.” The courage to be imperfect.

2. Based on intense research, Brown found that people who live with their whole heart possess three things:

Compassion – to be kind to themselves first and then to others because as it turns out we can’t practice compassion with other people if we can’t treat ourselves kindly.

Connection – they were willing to let go of who they thought they should be.

Vulnerability – they believed that what made them vulnerable made them beautiful.

3. My favorite quote was “I know that vulnerability is kind of the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it appears that it’s also the birthplace of joy of creativity of belonging of love.”

Question:
What was your greatest takeaway from this clip?