Whole-hearted Living & Inspiration from Brene Brown

I typically do not subscribe to celebrity fandom, but viral TED talk speaker Brene Brown is one exception to the rule. I know her Texan girl-next-door persona and sarcastic attitude won the hearts of many, but that was not why I hurriedly pushed through security at the Omni Shoreham hotel, passing through the crowd of 4,500 people only to get to stand for two hours to hear her speak. I did it for one reason and one reason only: to find out what this wholehearted living was all about.

What is Wholehearted living?
To me, wholehearted living means to live with all your heart, with purpose, passion, and connection.

In Brene’s talk, she showcased a picture of a cold, gray heart covered with armor. It was a powerful image and I imagine one that is shown to audiences all over the globe to depict her point of inauthentic or fear-based living.

How do we live a wholehearted life?
Living a wholehearted life takes practice, and to practice a new skill means we won’t always get it right. To fail, however, means that we at least “showed up” for this thing we call life. Right?

Brene Brown’s data says one way to wholehearted living is to have the sense of belonging. She makes a clear distinction that “belonging” and “fitting in” are not the same thing. Have you ever tried to hustle your way into a group so that you can “fit in”? Maybe that means you talked as fast as the other people in the group or you talked about whatever would make the group happy.

Belonging to a group, on the other hand, does not require us to change. We just come as we are! For the purposes of this short blog, that is what living wholeheartedly means to me. It means you are worthy now! This minute. And not worthy “in a few weeks when I lose 15 pounds.”

Conclusion
I welcomed Brene Brown’s talk about shame and imperfection because I hear it from my clients on a regular basis. And you cannot talk about living wholeheartedly and with love without talking about the obstacles, like shame, that get in our way.

How do you live wholeheartedly? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page. If you are interested in learning more about our Life Coaching sessions (not to brag but we are award-winning life coaches!) read more on the Life Cycles Counseling website.