Braving the Wilderness

Brené Brown’s book, Braving the Wilderness, is about standing up and speaking out. The focus is on braving the wilderness of the current state of the world and all its tensions and difficulties in the political, social, and cultural spheres, but it’s also about the self becoming the wilderness. Becoming the wilderness translates to allowing ourselves the uncomfortability to own our truths and our own individual identities. Brown sees our world as in a spiritual crisis, in which we have lost our connection to others around us. I certainly agree. Brown talks about forging human connections and social interactions with the gravity of a matter of life and death. The dichotomy is that we must forfeit our desire for approval and keeping others comfortable, to respond to our internal convictions and truths, to step into the wilderness and obtain true belonging. True belonging to ourselves, not to others. The titles of the last four chapters of her book explain a lot: 1. People are hard to hate close up. Move in. 2. Speak truth to bullshit. Be civil. 3. Hold hands. With strangers. 4. Strong back. Soft front. Wild heart.

Brené Brown and her team reviewed over two hundred thousand pieces of research for this book, so she’s got some good feet to stand on. In our world of disconnection, anger, and fear we need to spark human connection and allow ourselves the vulnerability of feeling joy and pain, and sharing it with others. Moreover, Brown advocates for respect, civility, and never, ever diminishing other’s humanity. She asks us to release our preconceived notions of others, to quit generalizing, and allow everyone their own individuality. She encourages us not just the truth but our truth. And to be brave enough to be generous with others, set clear boundaries, and lead with a tender, wild heart.

This isn’t my first Brené Brown book I’ve read. Her intelligence, wit, honesty, and wisdom are something I cherish. I always enjoy listening to her voice as she reads her books on audiobook, but I thought this book was best absorbed page by page. I especially enjoyed and related to final chapter: Strong back. Soft front. Wild Heart.

Favorite Quotes from Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

“When we are willing to risk venturing into the wilderness, and even becoming our own wilderness, we feel the deepest connection to our true self and to what matters the most.”

“Show up for collective moments of joy and pain so we can actually bear witness to the inextricable human connection.”

“The foundation of courage is vulnerability–the ability to navigate uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.”

“The mark of a wild heart is living out the paradox of love in our lives. It’s the ability to be tough and tender, excited and scared, brave and afraid–all in the same moment. It’s showing up in our vulnerability and our courage, being both fierce and kind.”

“A wild heart is awake to the pain in the world, but does not diminish its own pain. A wild heart can beat with gratitude and lean in to pure joy without denying the struggle in the world. We hold that tension with the spirit of the wilderness. It’s not always easy or comfortable–sometimes we struggle with the weight of the pull– but what makes it possible is a front made of love and a back built of courage.”

“True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belong to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”

“Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission. Stop scouring people’s faces for evidence that you’re not enough. You will always find it because you’ve made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don’t negotiate their value with the world. The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.”

“Imagine an organization where a critical mass of people are leading and innovating from a wild heart, rather than following suit, bunkering up, and being safe. We need a wild heart revolution more than ever.”

Check out Brené Brown’s website, IT’S AWESOME, by clicking HERE.