I’m not good with showing an emotional side.
I’m good with being there for people. I’m good at listening. I’m good at praying. I’m not good at willingly showing anyone that I’m not strong and it’s to a fault.
That’s why I was taken aback at how much I enjoyed reading Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown. No one wants their faults thrown in their faces, and Dr. Brown does just that, albeit in a very nice and sweet manner. She makes you think about what makes you squirm, and why. Why we get so easily embarrassed by things that we may have no control over.
There’s nothing more horrific than realizing that you have shared a portion of yourself willingly and then understanding that you can not control the reactions of others. I am taken back to posting about my sister. Most people don’t understand my way of dealing with her death. Heck, I don’t even understand it, but it is comforting to me, and I JUST got to that point. 10 years ago, I hated everyone, especially women who still had their sisters (hey, I told you, this grieving thing is REAL) and were all happy go lucky about it.
The one thing that gives me great comfort though, is knowing that the last two weeks that Jessica was alive were COMPLETELY open for me. She and I talked about everything. Our fears, our hopes, our dreams. She found out stuff about me that I swore to take to the grave and the same went for her. It was great to be that open, and I do believe that aside from Mr. Houseful, she is the last person that I have opened up like that to.
Dr. Brown’s book, takes us through the steps of becoming vulnerable enough to be effective in every area of our lives. I don’t want to categorize it as a self help book, but it certainly helps with ones ability to put things into perspective. Mostly because we live in a society of people who don’t want to be seen as weak, and vulnerability does just that.
We’re having a discussion over at Blog Her Book Club and I would LOVE it if you could join us!