I believe that we all struggle with a sense of insecurity. I don’t know if this is the case, but I would be willing to bet that it is true for the vast majority of us at some time or another.
Insecurity is a difficult thing to live with. It challenges us in relationship. It leads us to compromise and to alter our behavior in potentially limiting and even damaging ways. It takes courage to overcome insecurity.
I have defined courage as the ability to act rightly in the face of discouragement. However, I also like Brene Brown’s definition. She defines courage in this way: “To tell the story of who you are with your whole heart”. She explains it this way: “What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful…not comfortable, nor excruciating…but necessary…its the willingness to do something with no guarantees…to invest in a relationship that may or may not work out.”
What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful and necessary. It is the uniqueness of you, in authentic form, and it requires courage to be lived. This authenticity is quite different from the imposter, whom is so preoccupied with acceptance, affirmation and validation that they have lost a sense of their own identity. It is also different than the arrogant, self-indulgent or indifferent – wherein authenticity is a label/license for self-gratification and dictatorship.
All my life, it seems, I have lived with an intense longing to know purpose. At the same time I have been aware of insecurity. At this point in my life I find myself at a place where I am determined; to have the courage to live authentically, transparently and vulnerably – with abandon.
I have been reflecting on the kind of impact I would like to have, and to identify what is uniquely me in some way that I may be able tell my story from my whole heart — the intersecting of life, vocation and leisure in a manner that is peacefully purposeful. This is the intersection of where BE-ing and DO-ing form the BECOMING.
I recently changed this blog from “crafting culture” to “unconventional courage”. The move was intended to deepen exploration and understanding of how life can be pursued purposefully in what may seem like a counter-intuitive fashion; backwards or upside-down when contrasted with the norm. Having done this, I now realize that this is not the central issue of my heart’s pursuit, but rather a key value to be held in the pursuit of something more.
I want to dive deeply into the discovery of the connection between why we live and what we do. To find deeper meaning in the ordinary, regular, day to day activities and relationships that constitute the majority of our life.
Now, here is my first step in vulnerability: I am inviting you to join me in this quest.
Would you do me a favor? If this resonates with you – if you would like to interact (not just read) in a deeper discovery of “why we live and what we do”, and if you would like to discover a life that is more peacefully purposeful – leave a comment to that effect on this site. Many of you respond directly to me from the email delivery of this blog – and I greatly appreciate hearing from you – but this time I am asking for you to leave a note in the blog site so that we can begin to build common-unity in our quest.
I look forward to continuing in the journey with you!
If you would like more on Brene Brown’s vulnerability talk, you can find it here:
Here is a short clip on Brene’s Ted Talk — YouTube Short
Here is the full version — YouTube Full
