I have been wanting to spend some time reading and then taking the time to digest what i am reading. I thought the best way to do this would be through this blog. If you would like to share in this short walk through this book you are welcome to share your thoughts along the way.
I have chosen this book as it is on of my “go to” writers and speakers when I need to realign. I have a hard copy as well as the audible version. For this exercise I will be taking the time to read through the hard copy and commenting my take away.
So without further ado lets move forward.
Chapter 1 – Places We Go When Things Are Uncertain or Too Much.
“Stress, Overwhelm, Anxiety, Worry, Avoidance, Excitement, Dread, Fear, Vulnerability”
I will start with the end of the chapter. She ends with the statement “Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage”
A number of years ago when I was really in my low of lows, and finally sought out the much needed therapy that was required to get me from the low place I was to the place I am today, I had to grasp on to that statement.
One of the first books that my therapist suggested that I read was Brene Brown’s book “Daring Greatly” I read through it in 3 days. At that point I had been trying to deal with what life had thrown at me on my own and that, I knew was not going to be enough.
This was my first exposure to Brene Brown – from there I watched a few of her “Ted Talks’ and so much of what she talked about resonated with me and took me on a journey of healing that has turned out to be immensely helpful.
I digress! On to Atlas of the Heart – Chapter 1
There is so much in this chapter that resonated with me however to keep things short and to the point I will comment on the things that perked my heart.
The statement about Vulnerability above was a game changer for me. I always thought I had to be the strong one, the stoic one, the one who would keep it together in front of other people and cry in private. The one who would be the guard of the hearts of my children so that they could be spared from the difficulties that I was trying to handle on my own.
My understanding of vulnerability, once I learned more about it, was so limiting and the reality is that it is in fact a great measure of strength. “There is no courage without vulnerability” I put this on my notes and pressed forward in my learning how to navigate the emotional peices that went with becoming that couragous woman with integrity that I knew was in there somewhere!
I love how Brene writes. I grew up in a conservative family and I can totally relate to the siblings and learning to handle anxiety and vulnerability. Lets just say it was difficult and the small community that I was raised in did not prepare me completely for the bigger world that was out there.
There came a point in my life where I had to become the integral leadership of my family and this was opposite to my expectations and what I had imagined for my life and my kids lives. Dealing with Anxiety and stress is an artform to be sure and one that I had to learn. Lets just say I did the best I could with the tools I had at the time.
“Stressed is being in the weeds. Overwhelmed is being blown”
This also was an incredible statement for me. Understanding the difference is an incredible tool in the coping of what life throws at us. Taking the time to breath, slow down, regroup, and figure out a path forward using the scale of 1-10 and measuring the emotions and how I am handling them was also on many levels life altering for me.
I was not trained or taught to measure my emotions! I was a worker and a team player and a supporter to many, I did not need to consider my emotions, that was secondary! Turns out – that was not true! Emotions are a huge part of dealing with day to day.
To keep this short – the Title of this chapter has a list under it. “Stress, Overwhelm, Anxiety, Worry, Avoidance, Excitement, Dread, Fear, Vulnerability” At first glance these are just a list of emotions. When you take the time to understand the impact of each of these things in your life and learn the best way to navigate through sometimes all of these at the same time or 1 or 2 your world becomes a better place and you become a person that feels and can act on what ever comes your way.
You can get to a point where you can decipher if you can indeed handle things on your own or if you need to get help. (Again, an act of courage and one that will give you more strength than you can know!)
I encourage you today to embrace these things, love what impact that these things have in your own life and on those that you impact and grow from the learning.
Thank you for letting me share with you.
Be blessed and be a blessing to others. Every day is a gift! Make it a great one – because you can!
Sincerely and with a grateful heart
Peggy
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