I recently finished listening to Dare to Lead, one of the many books I’ve been devouring on my Audible subscription I share with my family.

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The Call to Courage

My first encounter with Brené was from a book suggestion I received to read her book: The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed To Be and Be Who You Are. Wow! I cannot tell you how powerful this book was to me. I read it voraciously. Twice. It’s a quick read, so it’s not a stretch to say that was on a Saturday. By Sunday, I’d laughed, I’d cried, and I’d highlighted, taken notes in the margins, and started ordering copies for friends.

And my husband.

Her Ted Talks are phenomenal – she has a plethora of downloads available for free on her website.

Today, I finally got to take an hour to sit down and watch Brené’s Netflix Special: The Call to Courage {no aff}. I watched it with my two sons and I have to say, they were drawn in. Drawn in by her wit, her honesty, her vulnerability. They got a closer look as to why and how I’m making the changes I’m making in my life.

I’m leaning into the change.

I posted this in my Brave Learner Seattle Book Club today:

Ladies!

Part of the reason I started this group was to share in the vulnerability that is being a mother, an educator, a mentor and role model for my children. It’s the ‘hardest job I’ve ever loved’ but it’s also one I’m not able to be comfortable sharing and growing with a group who isn’t in the trenches with me.

You ladies who are here, who have come to the meetings, who have shared and been vulnerable: Thank you 🖤

I love the work, and subsequent books, Brené has done in the realm of shame, vulnerability, and courage. Her new special on Netflix is the follow-up to her tremendous TED talk. I finally got to watch it this morning with my guys as a prelude to Poetry Tea Time and had to share it with you.

I just finished reading her book, ‘Dare to Lead’ and this talk hits some of those highlights, including what I’ve thought about a lot with regard to this group:

“You can’t take criticism and feedback from people who are not being brave with their lives,” Brenè Brown

She pulls this from a speech Theodore Roosevelt gave in 1910:

“It’s not the critic who counts, it’s not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the diet of deeds could have done it different. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, who’s face is marred with dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes up short again and again and again and who in the end, while he may know the triumph of high achievement, at least when he fails he does so daring greatly.”

My friends: We are the ones Daring Greatly.

We are the ones in the trenches, daily, as parents, mentors, primary educators in some cases, to our charges. We are the ones working on the relationships in our home, with our families, as individuals; making connections and building bridges.

For years I’ve looked for a community like this. I’ve yearned for the opportunity to be vulnerable with others who are in the arena with me – not taking criticism from the cheap seats. My friends who do not home educate are great, but they’re not in it like we are: You are the ones on this great, daring home education journey – in part or in full – and it’s you to whom I feel comfortable with taking this journey.

Thank you to each one of you whom I’ve met, and those I have yet to meet, for being an active part of our IRL book clubs!

You are courageous and I’m here cheering you on 🖤

Isn’t that how it i

Those of us on the path should be encouraging our fellow travelers! We don’t need to take the criticism from the cheap seats or the foul scent of dissent from those not walking our paths. I’ve done it in the past, beaten myself up for rando people giving me bad reviews, and you know where that negativity has gotten me?

Nowhere.

The only way to push forward and move on is to call bullshit on the naysayers who aren’t doing the hard work. Whether you’re a blogger, an artist, a writer, a mother, a student, a worker….it’s you in the trenches doing the hard work and looking to those in the trenches with you to give you constructive feedback – those are the people who matter. The people who care for you, and care about you, so you are able to reveal your vulnerability.

I passed this message one of the talented artists I follow on Instagram, AlisaCreates: She asked, ‘Should I  sell my art?”

I think you should!! It’s that doubt that creeps in – that fear of being made fun of or failure – that keeps us from chasing our dreams and living our best live ❤ I just watched Brene Browns special on Netflix, but even just reading her books, you understand that vulnerability is the only way to be our authentic selves AND to allow ourselves the deeper relationships, connections, and joy that ultimately gives life meaning ❤ Don’t listen to the crowd shouting from the cheap seats, she’d say — only value those who are in the arena with you – these are your people – these are the only opinions that matter ❤ You are amazing!! Good Luck!!

Because first, she is an amazing artist! If you haven’t seen detailed paper cut art, hers is amazing ❤ But second, the only thing she has to risk is no sales. She’s already doing the work, she’s already amazing at it…it’s just a matter if it’s worth the risk to fail.

It is.

Looking back on your life, you don’t want to have a trail of wishes: You want to have blazed a trail called your life, that you lived, on your terms.

I tell my boys, it’s giving ourselves Grace and Space.

Having courage, Brene says, means being vulnerable, and being vulnerable, is the only way to truly find joy.

I wish you joy on your journey ❤