Vulnerability

"Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional.  Our only choice is a question of engagement.  Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection."
~Brene` Brown  "Daring Greatly"

Stepping back into the classroom last year felt like one of those dreams where you walk out on stage with no clothes.  Every day, I felt vulnerable.  Living in the Solomon Islands is the same way, each hour of the day I must be willing to live with authenticity and vulnerability and find my value in Him if I want to survive and thrive.

But moving back to America, one of the culture shocks for me is the tendency to be "brave".  Unbreakable.  Rock hard. The middle school choirs this year sang songs like "Clay" and "Titanium", hammering home the old adage that "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me".  Our American culture tends to encourage hard hearts, but I find that keeping a soft heart is actually more difficult to maintain.

Brene` Brown's name has repeatedly come up in conversations both on social media and in my real world, so I decided to check our library for her books.  The first one that showed up on the hold shelf with my name on it was "Daring Greatly:  How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, Lead".  This book has given me some new terminology and clarified thoughts that have been simmering on the backburner of my brain.  I can't wait to dive into her other books that I just checked out for the library (and have learned that other people have already put them on hold!), but I find that I need time to chew and ruminate on her words.  The Lord is already working to grow me through this author.