Back in August, there was a Marriage and Family therapy conference in downtown Austin, and with it came some colleagues from graduate school whom I haven’t seen for about a year. It was great catching up with all of them, but one suggested I read “Daring Greatly”. He praised it so much, I put a hold on the book through the Austin Public Library on the spot (your public library is an excellent resource and I suggest everyone to check out their public library). I waited about 2 month, but FINALLY I got an email that this book came in. I was so excited to read the book, I finished it within a week.
This book touches on something everyone struggles with: Vulnerability and Shame. It can be something that follows us around and can affect how we interact with others. Brené talks about facing the shame and vulnerabilty that has been told and shown to us through our lives and to DARE GREATLY. The term comes from an excerpt of Theodore Roosevelt’s, “Citizen in a Republic” speech
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Brené calls us all to Dare Greatly within our lives, especially within our families. There is a lot of good thoughts in the book, too much to list here. Go find it at your local bookstore or public library (Austin Public Library has 14 physical copies, and multiple other ways to consume the book.)
Take care of yourselves until next time.
-Mark
