Courage, Vulnerability, Shame, and Empathy

Brene Brown, a researcher on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy talks about having a strong back, soft front, and wild heart.  Life is full of challenges and whatever you fight, you strengthen.  Whatever you resist, you persist.  The same holds true when exercise.  The more you challenge your body, the stronger you become mentally and physically.  Being able to find the strength to stand up after we are knocked down is very difficult but essential.  Being resilient is a skill that we must exercise just like strengthening our muscles; we need to strengthen our mind.  Brené Brown describes this as having a Strong Back – the ability to bear your load and still move forward. Soft Front is our front that faces people. There is overwhelming evidence that our tone, manner, and ability to relate to others has one of the most profound impacts on how we will succeed. Newton’s Third Law of Motion which Oprah explains as one of the most important laws of physics and in life: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Everything we do physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually, “the energy you’re putting out right now is coming back to you all the time whether you recognize it or not.”  
If you find yourself surrounded by negative people in your life, take a look at the energy you’re putting out there. People are drawn to positive people. Positive people thrive, positive people are less likely to be critics and more likely to be encouragers, positive people develop high levels of emotional intelligence and empathy allowing them to demonstrate a ‘soft front’ in the face of intense and difficult situations. Positive people are more likely to focus on wellness which, of course, adds to their own sense of positivity. Positive people have the ability to cultivate the potential in others.


Don’t be afraid to be brave and vulnerable.  Put it all out there and don’t leave anything on the floor.  The price is high but the rewards are great.  ​