Daring Greatly vastly different from Daring to be Great

helps to have the book front and center while I write

One of these I will never be and one of these I'm learning is something I, like all of us, strives to do every day.

I just finished reading "Daring Greatly" by author Brene Brown and am so relieved that I don't have to torture myself with the idea that I'll never be great. [*an aside: This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own. - you can go here at BlogHer to read more.]

So what is the difference? Isn't daring greatly the same as daring to be great? No. And I'm so glad.

Brene Brown gained her title from the speech made by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 when he said, "...if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly...." Brown's whole book is about the positiveness of vulnerability. What I gained from her book is the understanding that embracing vulnerability turns failures into opportunities to move on. She says we need to engage with the who of who we are. In her introduction she says [page 2 in my copy], "...Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose...." I really like this.

See, I translate the phrase "dare to be great" to mean that I have to gird myself, dig down deep and go for broke and risk destruction and utter defeat. It means I have to have as a goal being, well, great...as if there is something wrong with being regular...an everyday person. See, in my life I don't require being The Best; being #1; being a millionaire; being a celebrity. I'm okay with coming in 2nd, 3rd or even last as long as I know I was authentic in the race. I'd rather be the real me because I simply don't have the energy to be what I'm not.

In her book Brown delves into our [mostly Western] culture of "Never Enough;" she examines the truth behind "Vulnerability Myths;" she talks about understanding shame...well, you need to get your own copy and read it! Here's my highlights, what struck me the most:

In Brown's chapter "Understanding and Combating Shame," she says: "...If you're wondering what happens if you attach your self-worth to your art or your product and people love it, let me answer that from personal and professional experience. You're in even deeper trouble...You've handed over your self-worth to what people think...." I'm an artist so this rang so true.

Her chapter, "The Vulnerability Armory," has this - which had me wanting to elect her as president of the country: "...And I see the insidious nature of race, class, and privilege playing out in one of the most historically damaging ways possible - the server/served relationship...Everyone wants to know why customer service has gone to hell in a handbasket. I want to know why customer behavior has gone to hell in a handbasket...When we treat people as objects, we dehumanize them. We do something really terrible to their souls and to our own...." And I would add, that we dehumanize ourselves in the process.

Brown included the above in her discussion of 'The Care and Feeding of Our Spirits." She says in the book that she isn't coming from a place of religiosity "...but the deeply held belief that we are inextricably connected to one another by a force greater than ourselves-a force grounded in love and compassion...." I share this deeply held belief.

Recently I attended a Ladies' Dinner at our church and the speaker for the evening talked about having faith. Each attendee had been given a little packet inside of which were a few tiny mustard seeds. The speaker referenced the scripture that explains that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. Because I am a spiritual person, I think I can live a life daring greatly by holding onto one of those tiny mustard seeds.