This month I finished reading Rising Strong by Brene Brown. I started it last year sometime and then got distracted with other books, but also sometimes just didn’t want to read something that took brain power! It is not a quick or easy read, but it is a powerful one. (Disclaimer: She uses some strong language in the book)
The back cover reads,
“Living a brave life is not always easy: We stumble and we fall. It is the rise from falling that Brene Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong. Brown has listened as a range of people - from leaders of Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents - shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up. She asked herself, What do these people have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean into discomfort. The process of regaining our footing in the midst of struggle is where our courage is tested and our values are forged. We reckon with our emotions and get curious about what we’re feeling; we rumble with our stories until we get to a place of truth; and we live this process, every day, until it becomes a practice and creates nothing short of a revolution in our lives. Rising strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness. This process teaches us the most about who we are.”
Here are some of the things I highlighted:
“People who wade into discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories are the real [heroes].” p. xxvii
“We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both.” p. 4
“Rising demands the foundational beliefs of connection and requires wrestling with perspective, meaning, and purpose.” p. 11
“Do we want to write the story or do we want to hand that power over to someone else?” p. 46
She talks a lot about writing our SFD, or stormy first draft, and then working through it…
“Owning our stories means reckoning with our feelings and rumbling with our dark emotions - our fear, anger, aggression, shame, and blame. This isn’t easy, but the alternative - denying our stories and disengaging from emotion - means choosing to live our entire lives in the dark.” p. 75
That’s not everything I highlighted and it’s only the first quarter of the book!! You’ll just have to read it I guess.
And if you want to explore how working with a coach can change your story, book a FREE discovery session here. I am offering discounted life coaching packages through the end of August so act now.