Vulnerability and Gratitude with Bréne Brown

Bréne Brown has had such a massive positive impact in my life, and I'm sure many of you feel the same way. She first gained world-wide recognition with her TedX talk onThe Power of Vulnerability in 2011, has been viewed over 39 million times. She has published books on vulnerability, shame and resilience. And now, she's got her own Netflix special. 

Watch on Netflix - Brené Brown: The Call to Courage.

This 90 minute special is a very funny and poignant summary of her work over the past two decades. I recommend watching with a partner or spouse. The language is a bit mature, so I'd suggest watching first before sharing with your kids. I found myself laughing hysterically in one moment, and crying the next. 

"I hold gratitude practice — I try to do this before my feet hit the floor every day. I usually say I’m thankful for another day and I’m going to choose courage over comfort today."

She shares this morning ritual in a recent article from The Cut, titled How I Get It Done. In the Netflix special, she also shares the role gratitude plays in our vulnerability. According to her research, when people have experienced trauma, it's the ordinary moments they miss the most. And she encourages us to pause and find gratitude in the ordinary. Like me, she uses her camera to practice gratitude.

"Photography is a really important gratitude practice for me. Sometimes when I’m struggling, I’ll just grab my camera and go outside. I’ll put a macro lens on or something and I’ll lay in my front yard and take a picture of blades of grass or flowers or, and then I love editing those, sharing those.  Just really simple stuff, the things that I walk by every day and don’t notice." (from the above article in The Cut).

Camelia, after the rain

Vulnerability is the key to unlocking joy, understanding, and incredible magic in our lives. Brené Brown is the expert on this topic and her message is timely. And the reason why millions are listening to her? She chose to be vulnerable. 
We know how powerful vulnerability is. And we also know that it takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable. Over the next few weeks, I'm stepping out into a new venture that makes me feel very uncomfortable and vulnerable. Reading, watching and listening to Brené Brown makes it a lot easier for me to go for it! 

"I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude."

Where are you choosing to see the extraordinary in the ordinary today?