{"id":37565,"date":"2024-04-19T11:46:53","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T18:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=37565"},"modified":"2024-04-19T11:46:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T18:46:53","slug":"all-the-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/all-the-things\/","title":{"rendered":"All The Things!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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My BFF (in my head)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me just put it out there. I am a FanGirl of Brene Brown. I have been a fan long before the world discovered her.\u00a0 She is my BFF (in my head). My mentor and, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant beings on the planet is friends with Brene Brown. They went to graduate school together and they talk often. I have shamelessly tried to invite myself to their lunches by hinting that my calendar is free or drop by her office when I know that she will be there. It has not worked. I have failed miserably, and I have too much respect for my mentor to ask her to make the introduction, to casually bring me up in their conversations. I secretly hope that she will read this blog and surprise me at our next lunch by inviting Brene. I hope that you are reading this Ann. ( : I am available next Wednesday and every Wednesday after that!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Image<\/p>\n

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The Book<\/strong><\/p>\n

I thought that I would approach this book a little differently. Because I am such a fan, I thought I would begin with some of my favorite quotes from the book. Here are my top four:<\/p>\n

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  1. \u201cVulnerability is not winning or losing. It\u2019s having the courage to show up when you can\u2019t control the outcome.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Having the courage to show up is no small feat. My Dad had a saying, \u201cThe world is changed by those that show up.\u201d Although this phrase annoyed me to no end because he usually said it in response to something that I was falling short on. I understand it so much better now than I did then. Showing up is what matters. As leaders, we don\u2019t always have to have the answers but being present is what is important, and it is as important in the times of tribulation as it is in the time of triumph. We must show up.<\/p>\n

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    1. \u201cVulnerability minus boundaries is not vulnerability. It\u2019s confession, manipulation, desperation, or shock and awe, but it\u2019s not vulnerability.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Vulnerability is often confused with telling your entire story to everyone. It is not. Vulnerability allows your true self to emerge. It is not hiding who you are and what you feel. I can see how it gets confusing. Vulnerability does not mean that you don\u2019t use discretion or boundaries. Boundaries are healthy. Boundaries show others where your limits are. Healthy vulnerability does not leave up wide open to others, but it allows you to introduce yourself to others on your own authentic terms.<\/p>\n

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      1. \u201cTo feel is to be vulnerable. Believing that vulnerability is weakness is believing that feeling is weakness.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        I was talking to my 15-year-old son about how to best deal with a situation. He applied for the English Honor Society and received a rejection letter. He was \u00bd a point lower than the person the received the last remaining spot. He is a Sophomore in High School and can apply again next year, so there is still a reasonable chance that he will get in next year. He was upset but trying very hard not to appear upset. My suggestion was that he draft an email thanking the Department Head for the chance to apply and asking how he could strengthen his application next year. He thought it was the worst suggestion ever. He was appalled that I would suggest it. His response was, \u201cI don\u2019t want to look thirsty\u201d. He was afraid to be vulnerable and express that he really wanted to get in, he was afraid that showing disappointment and asking for help would make him look weak. I knew that a deep dive into how vulnerability is an asset would fall on deaf ears at 9 pm at night to my 15-year-old son. So, I said, \u201cI am asking you to trust me and send an email in your own words. It is ultimately your decision; I am not going to make you do it. But it would solidify in the English Chair\u2019s mind that you are serious about your candidacy.\u201d We ended the conversation, and both went to bed. The next day I received a text with words that will live on and one. The text said, \u201cYou were right!\u201d Later that night he told me that he was afraid of<\/p>\n

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        1. \u201cVulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, and joy.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Vulnerability can remove the barriers the prevent us from being truly open. Love, belonging and joy are things that we should all be chasing after, and holding on tight when we find it. If vulnerability is the birthplace, then let us all lean in. Imagine a world where vulnerability, love, belonging, and joy were valued more than power, position, and money. That is a world I\u2019d really like to live in.<\/p>\n

          Embrace It<\/strong><\/p>\n

          My challenge to you is to lead with vulnerability. Embrace the spaces where love exists and foster love in other spaces. Acknowledge the beauty of belonging and chase fearlessly the things that bring your joy. I challenge you to answer these questions for yourself.<\/p>\n