“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 at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” —Theodore Roosevelt
When I read this quote from Teddy Roosevelt, I feel like there is nothing I can't do, no obstacle I can't conquer with hard work and perseverance; I feel a longing to run out the door and find my destiny. But then it hits me, that this quote doesn't say that I should "dare to do great things" but instead to "dare greatly": to take a risk, to put it all on the line, to be in the position to fall flat on my face.... in essence, to be vulnerable. Whoa there... be vulnerable? Exactly. And that is what the book Daring Greatly by Brene Brown is all about: it's about embracing our vulnerability to have a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
This concept tends to go against the world's I-Can-Do-It-All, Never-Admit-Defeat, Vulnerability-is-a-Weakness, self-sufficient mentality. We often associate thoughts of vulnerabilty with fear and shame, but until we put ourselves out there, that yearning for love and joy cannot be fulfilled.
As a Christ-follower, this all comes very close to what we strive for in our Christian walk with a realization that only when we surrender our will over to God can we truly experience life, although Daring Greatly doesn't quite go that far. Despite that, I found it an inspirational book definitely worth the time it took to read, with many practical, real-world thoughts and tips to help focus my mind on the haves of my life instead of the have-nots. "Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk."
Check out the book and get involved in the discussion at Blogher.com.
* In the interest of full disclosure, this was part of a compensated campaign as part of the BlogHer Book Club. That said, all opinions stated here are my own.
