Thursday, March 16, 2017

Book Review: Daring Greatly


How the Courage to Be Vulnerable
Transforms the Way
We Live, Love, Parent and Lead

by Brené Brown


“To grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable.” This quote by Madeleine L’Engle is the core idea upon which Brené Brown bases her book, Daring Greatly. This is not a daring of risking life and limb but one of opening our hearts, exposing ourselves to the possibility of both hurt and great love and joy. We risk failure as we step into greater expressions of ourselves, taking risks to create, to be seen, to find success or love. She invites us to learn to live with the uncomfortable, to experience what our human hearts feel when they not guarded or closed.  Brown shows us the value of this way of being, and the steps to living it. It is living our authentic selves, bringing our whole being to life and allowing ourselves to feel the richness and fullness of our experiences. As in her other books, Brown anchors her book with her findings from her work as a researcher, bringing proof and power to her teachings. She also uses her own life to illustrate the challenges and power of this vulnerability. This is not about becoming fearless, it is about being willing to walk through our fears. She says, “Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do it just show up.” Daring Greatly is a fulfillment of our human desire to be free to be all that we are.

Review by Rev. Ruth Barnhart, a staff minister at Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.

Daring Greatly is available from Stepping Stones Books and Gifts.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts