I just discovered Brené Brown and her talks on Ted. She is a researcher who has spent a decade researching Shame and Vulnerability. Her conclusions and her insights are wonderful and eye-opening and I really appreciate her candor. She points to vulnerability as the courage to be authentic in the face of judgement and disconnection. Her research shows that those who are most able to be connected live through their moments of vulnerability by living whole heartedly and with the knowledge that they are not perfect and that they will sometimes fail. They have gratitude for the ordinary in life which is full of everyday miracles and the extraordinary.
She’s written books on the subject and if she’s as good a writer as she is a speaker I think these will be the kinds of books you read in one shot because you just can’t put them down.
Here’s her talks on Ted: