photo by Angry Julie Monday
Last week, I attended Blissdom.
A blog conference.
An event packed with hundreds of women (and 4-ish men) who are all connecting and sharing ideas online.
I attended sessions on collaborating with other bloggers, starting a blog based business, legal issues surrounding blogging, Twitter and going viral. There were sessions on being a better writer, knowing your audience, getting past writer’s block, writing about sensitive issues and being a voice for social change. If there was a topic related to blogging that you had a question about of interest in—you would have found it discussed at Blissdom.
But can I let you in on a little secret?
Despite everything I heard, things related to blogging & establishing an online business is NOT what my mind keeps returning to.
On Thursday morning I was introduced to a speaker who is having what I hope to be a life shifting impact on me.
photo by Angry Julie Monday
The speaker?
Brené Brown.
The topic?
Shame.
Yup. It’s a big one.
We all feel it & no one wants to talk about it. But the less we talk about it, the more shame & fear we feel!
Shame is what drives thoughts of “I’m not good enough” & “Who do you think you are?” That causes you to struggle with the fear of rejection or not fitting in.
By opening ourselves up to vulnerability,
we open ourselves up to:
SHAME
FEAR
SCARCITY
GRIEF
UNCERTAINTY
However, if we decide that we are not going to allow these things in our lives,
then we’ve also said goodbye to:
LOVE
BELONGING
JOY
GRATITUDE
AUTHENTICITY
INNOVATION
CREATIVITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
ADAPTABILITY
These things are ALSO born from vulnerability.
I’ve made a decision.
I’m not going to do it anymore.
I’m not going to harden myself because I’m afraid of being rejected.
I’m not going to be passive because I might fail if I try.
I’m not going to sit quietly on the sideline because if I find my voice you might also see the real me. . .and not like her.
I’m tired. Tired of trying to protect myself only to still feel like I don’t fit in.
Or that I’m not enough.
Brené said in her address that the big difference between those who are consumed by shame and those who live whole-hearted is that
They BELIEVE in their own worthiness.
They have the same struggles—they aren’t skinnier, richer, or have happier marriages.
They simply believe they are worthy.
There are no prerequisites.
I am just me.
And I am enough.
But that’s not to say it won’t be hard to convince myself of that. Brené, I’ll be spending a lot of time with you and your books in the coming weeks. 
Anyone care to join me?
