Courage

The illustrious Brene Brown* defines courage as, "sharing your whole story with your whole heart." I think this is the most beautiful definition, erradicating ideas of faultless strength and heroics as an ideal to seek, and instead posturing that life is simply about, inhabiting your story, and doing such will do something magical in your life and those around you.

My friend, Chris, and I had a conversation on Saturday about blogging, specifically whether it is possible to have a blog that is 100% honest, good and bad. I, of course, being the Debbie that I am, said it wasn't possible. How can you paint a full picture of a person in just this format? Not that you can't get a good picture, and not that you can't be honest, but 100%, I just don't know.

But, then I've been thinking about what Brene (we are BFFs, I call her Brene, ok?) says and I've been thinking about my own life. 100% honest or not, this is just one of the many opportunities I have to inhabit my story, to tell it with my whole heart.

I'm not very good at this. I mean, I can be, but my default is much more...how do you say in a way that makes me seem awesome still...secretive and deflective. I am great at listening. At talking about you. But, myself? Insert self-depricating joke and change the subject. I mean, I'm not saying I don't talk about myself, it's just not always my instinct.** But, Brene makes me want to be a better person, because that's what BFFs do.

What would happen if we all lived that courageously?


*You are welcome I'm sorry to everyone who has heard me obsess about her in conversation for the past few weeks. No, I'm not.

**Before I sound humbler and holier than you, I should tell you, I think about myself plenty. My not talking about myself isn't a sign of selflessness, that's for sure.