Dare to be Vulnerable

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I started to read a book because a long time ago I saw a Ted talk from a professor called Brene Brown. The book is called "Daring Greatly". This is not a book review however. I have only read a few pages but I am already captivated. Brene starts off by explaining what is meant by "Daring Greatly" - it is actually from a speech by Theodore Roosevelt.
This is the explanatory quote:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and again,

because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

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This quote speaks volumes - hence I have nothing additional to add. However, I would love to know what it "speaks" to you. Does it resonate?

Does this quote prepare you for a book that will speak about vulnerability? The definition according to the Oxford English Dictionary:
-Vulnerability_
The quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.

To me vulnerability is truly engaging in life - enjoying the thrills of victory and the agony of defeat.

• It is jumping in with both feet and experiencing what comes.
• It is experiencing life and not delaying while waiting for perfection.
• It is engaging and forming new relationships.
• It is being present.

Hmmm - are you thinking what I am thinking? The Whaleshares experience could be likened to the vulnerability process - jumping into the unknown - engaging - meeting new people. Could being "real" here be transformative and because of the way we share here, we impact our on and off line relationships? Food for thought......

Well, this is just the beginning of Whaleshares and I am just a the start of the book. I will pay attention to any other similarities I encounter. If you do not want to read the book but I have tickled your curiousity- here is the Tedtalk of Brene Brown- it has had more than 37 million views - hence it might be worth seeing. :grinning: