Daring Greatly favorite quote
Give me the courage to show up and let myself be seen. – Page 42
Lessons learned from Daring Greatly
1. What are you contributing to your world?
Are we so entitled that we actually believe that we’re superior even when we’re not really contributing or achieving anything of value? – Page 21
I grew up in the 80s and in high school, a person’s worth was often measured by the type of shoes they wear, if they owned a starter jacket, and if they were superior in athletic talent to someone else. I watched as students treated others in a negative way based on their social standing thinking they were more critical based solely on possessions and natural talent without offering anything of value. Unfortunately, this thought process continued post-high school as they aged.
The value of a person is often based on the number of possessions they have accumulated or the amount of knowledge they have accumulated, most of these measurements are based on consumption. However, in Daring Greatly Brene Brown challenges us to look at value based on what we have contributed to someone else in our world. I live in and work in the religious world of institutions and bubbles and have found that it is mainly about consumption and selfishness.
The question we should be asking ourselves is what am I contributing that brings value to others? Am I just consuming and taking hiding behind the idea of I need this, I am not ready, I need more? I would challenge you to ask yourself what am I contributing to my world?
2. Take off your masks.
Give me the courage to show up and let myself be seen. – Page 42
Social media has given us the ability to show people only the side of us that we want them to see. It has also given us the idea and belief that we are the only ones with issues. We also live in a world that encourages us to not show any weaknesses. This would all be fine except that we all have flaws, we have all made mistakes, and we all struggle.
It takes courage to pull back the mask and show up and let yourself be seen. In fact, it can be the scariest thing a person can do. However, all the hiding and all the lies can weigh on you like a heavy pack. Have the strength and courage to let yourself be seen.
It will be painful, you will lose “friends”, but were they really friends if they don’t stick through the good and the bad? It is always worth it but don’t be deceived showing up and being seen brings out the critics. Those who are too scared to show up and be seen sit in the stands and judge.
3. Don’t ignore ordinary moments.
Joy comes to us in moments-ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary. – Page 125
An addict lives their life for the next fix. In many ways we are all addicts, living our lives looking for the next high in life. Most of us don’t necessarily go to drugs, or what we typically think are tied to addiction. We have to go shopping and buy something, we have to jump out of the plane, the list is endless of things we do to feel alive. The Goo Goo Dolls in their song Iris says it so well, “yeah, you bleed just to know your alive.”
The ordinary moments of life can bring joy and it is so easy to miss them if we are constantly looking for the next fix. It can happen to all areas of our lives, marriages break down because we ignore the ordinary moments looking for that extraordinary fix somewhere else, we can go broke because saving a dollar a day is too boring and we want to hit the lottery so it happens all at once, the list is endless.
The old adage of stop and smell the roses is so important for us to start to do., Take the time this week to find joy in the small things, in the things that we consider ordinary. Your life can be completely changed by this one simple exercise.
I never intended to read Brene Brown’s books but did it on accident because I had read all the books I had at the moment so my friend brought me over some of hers. Among them were four of Brene’s books, and I am so happy that I ended up reading them and getting her other books as well. We often forget about the books we read, but her’s are certainly ones that will stick with me. Just like you said, “we all struggle” and that is what I realized. No one really got it all under control and nicely balanced it is just a picture that we show everyone on the other side of the screen. Nice post 🙂