I've been posting a lot of personal things lately, as life has thrown us a few curves and we're bending and stretching to hit them all out of the park anyway. I mean, what else are you going to do? Hide in your closet and wait for the storm to pass?
Since I like to write about things I know intimately, I wonder, is it all TMI? How much sharing is too much? Am I turning into one of those people who cross the line so far that people are secretly saying I wish she'd shut up? Who the heck wants to read my ramblings anyway?
I shared my concerns with an old friend who doesn't bullshit me. In response, my friend Bryan sent me this TED Talk, given by Brene Brown about the power of vulnerabilty. Seems like she's done an awful lot of research about what makes us who we are. In this talk she takes us through her experience as a qualitative researcher and storyteller (oh, how I could identify there!) and how much she likes to quantify even the messy stuff in life. One of the major discoveries she made is that the very act of putting yourself out there takes a lot of courage. And being able to embrace the uncertainty -- the very thing that researchers try to avoid -- measuring things without a definite, definable, measurable and repeatable outcome -- is the secret to be connected to others, and by extension, happiness.
Let me say that again.
Being able to take chances in life, not knowing the outcome of your actions, is the key to joy and a full life. And that's what vulnerability really is. It is allowing yourself the permission to put it out there -- to try new things, to discuss tough subjects, to share the truth even when it isn't pretty or flattering -- that is the secret to life.
Whew! Isn't that powerful? Take a look at the video and tell me if you agree with Brene.
Maybe TMI isn't really Too Much Information but rather Totally Messy Inspiration?
Recent Comments