Did you read a lot of books in February? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!
Check out my February wrap up video on my YouTube channel. The books I mentioned are below with links to purchase at three major book outlets. On a budget? Check out your local library or Half-Price Books to see what you can find on the cheap. Thrift stores are also a great place to find books for cheap, although the selection is not as large as a bookstore.
If you've read my blog at all or have browsed through my Goodreads profile, you may have picked up on the types of books I like to read: fiction, mystery, suspense, fantasy, young adult, etc. Notice that nowhere have I mentioned non-fiction. I'll be honest - it can be difficult for me to get into non-fiction works. So reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown was completely outside of my comfort zone of reading (you could say that it fits in with the theme of the book).
Daring Greatly focuses on what vulnerability is, how to be vulnerable and the importance of it. Brown defines vulnerability as "uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure". Check out this quote from the book summary:
Brown, Brené, 2012.
But Brené Brown explains that when we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives, and that nothing is as dangerous, uncomfortable, or hurtful as standing on the outside looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena.
This book really opened my eyes to the importance of vulnerability and what we, as human beings, do to protect ourselves from it. If there's anything I've learned from Daring Greatly it's that putting yourself in a vulnerable position is a good thing - when done appropriately. Brown shares that "vulnerability is based on mutuality and requires boundaries and trust". Basically, vulnerability is not oversharing and purging information to anyone who will listen. It is sharing feelings and experiences with people who have earned the right to hear them (aka you trust them).
When I heard of this book my first thought was "who is Brené Brown" - I wanted to be sure that I was reading a book by someone who is well-respected in the field. Brown is definitely that! She is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her research over the past 13 years includes the studying of vulnerability, courage, shame and worthiness. She's given multiple TED talks - the vulnerability video below is one of the top 5 most viewed TED talks. Check it out - it's definitely a great view and a segue way into Daring Greatly.
Being vulnerable opens the door to transform the ways in which we live our lives and interact with others. If you're looking for a book that will help you grow in both your personal and professional lives, this is the one to read.
You know when life happens - you get busy or don't feel well and posting takes a back seat for the moment. Yeah that happened this weekend. I went to a concert with my best friend, and then didn't feel good all the next day (apparently I don't know how to eat enough....). So I didn't have time to write this post. BUT here we are. And I'm excited for another installment of Miscellaneous Monday. This week we're focusing on 5 nonfiction reads I loved.
This is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. I loved reading about how Cheryl hit rock bottom and found herself again. It's reassuring to know that no matter how bad life gets, it will get better. Check out my review here!
I read this book in high school and it is a really great read. It's a short, powerful book about a man's account of his time in the Nazi Concentration Camps. If you haven't read this book - you need to.
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