Brené Brown - Wholeheartedness and Vulnerability

As I've been trying to make sense of certain aspects of my life recently, I've been surprised—and horrified—to notice my feelings swinging like a pendulum, going from one extreme to another, taking me along for a ride I could only experience as an unwilling spectator. While I normally don't actually attempt to be in control, I normally feel in control, so this sudden turn of events, needless to say, has been less than welcome. I'm used to feeling confident and independent, like an overflowing cup that's impervious to insult or injury because it just continues to overflow with abundance and awesomeness (yes, I'm used to loving myself).

Recent developments, however, have wounded that perception, and I've noticed revealing in me an instinct of self-preservation and self-defense that, while biologically understandable and possibly necessary, goes against my conception of the kind of person I'd like to be. I've been watching myself, against my own better judgment and against my own will, succumb to the weight of suffering and injustice and slowly become someone else...

I'm not sure how to escape this downward spiral, but I'm considering a few strategies: reflect on the ideals I'd like to embody, engage in physical activity, remind myself of that possibility in the writings of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, and—the most frightening—take that leap into the abyss in virtue of the absurd, against all rationality and probability and safety...

As the following TEDTalk presentation by Brené Brown shows in a moving and funny way, happiness stems not only from the recognition that life is messy, but from our ability to authentically embrace those social aspects we can't always understand.

Connection is achieved by those who have the courage to be compassionate and by those who have the courage to become vulnerable...

Check out some entries on Nietzsche, Kierkegaard or more TEDTalks.
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