Quotes from Brene Brown

I have moved from the self-righteousness and resentment of my SFD to a new way of looking at the world.

Sufficiency isn't two steps up from poverty or one step short of abundance. It isn't a measure of barely enough or more than enough. Sufficiency isn't an amount at all. It is an experience, a context we generate, a declaration, a knowing that there is enough, and that we are enough.

When we compared our dream list to our "joy and meaning" list, we realized that by merely letting go of the list of things we want to accomplish and acquire, we would be actually living our dream—not striving to make it happen in the future, but living it right now. The things we were working toward did nothing in terms of making our life fuller.

Because we don't talk about the things that get in the way of doing what we know is best for us, our children, our families, our organizations, and our communities.

If I had to choose the form of betrayal that emerged most frequently from my research and that was the most dangerous in terms of corroding the trust connection, I would say disengagement.

Anne Lamott, whom I once heard say, "Laughter is a bubbly, effervescent form of holiness." Amen!

I define calm as creating perspective and mindfulness while managing emotional reactivity. When I think about calm people, I think about people who can bring perspective to complicated situations and feel their feelings without reacting to heightened emotions like fear and anger.

The idea of "no regrets" doesn't mean living with courage, it means living without reflection. To live without regret is to believe we have nothing to learn, no amends to make, and no opportunity to be braver with our lives.

Unfortunately, there are times when hope isn't sufficient to combat entrenched systemic barriers. It doesn't matter how much hope we have if the deck is stacked or the rules apply to some but not others—that is actually a recipe for hopelessness and despair. We think we should be able to overcome an obstacle; however, the system is rigged so there is no possible positive outcome.

You don't wander into the wilderness unprepared.

I learned about the inextricable connection between joy and gratitude, and how things that I take for granted, like rest and play, are as vital to our health as nutrition and exercise.

Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance.

Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It's about cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. It's going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn't change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.

Disengagement triggers shame and our greatest fears—the fears of being abandoned, unworthy, and unlovable.

I can safely say that I've never done anything meaningful in my life that wasn't hard and that did not take time. Integrity is a big one—the perception of a lack of it, or even of a tendency to cut corners, creates instant wariness.

The opposite of faith is not doubt--it's certainty. Paul Tillich. I didn't leave religion because we stopped believing in God. Religion left us when it started putting politics and certainty before love and mystery.

They want to be a part of something --to experience real connection with others-- but not at the cost of their authenticity, freedom or power.

vulnerability and love are the truest marks of courage.

It's also important to know that hope is learned.

Again, it's counterintuitive, but acknowledging uncertainty is a function of grounded confidence, and it feels like humility to me.

You want to feel comfortable, so you avoid doing or saying the thing that will evoke fear and other difficult emotions. Avoidance will make you feel less vulnerable in the short run, but it will never make you less afraid.

This just reinforces our power and resentment loop: I knew I should have done it myself. I'll be responsible for this, you just do these small tasks that you can handle versus Let's dig into how we could have set you up for success. I know I have a part.

I often say that Wholeheartedness is like the North Star: We never really arrive, but we certainly know if we're headed in the right direction.

I'm so excited about the possibility. I'm trying to stay realistic, but I really hope it happens.