After reading Brené’s two books – The Gifts of Imperfection (teaching you TO BE YOU) and Daring Greatly (teaching you TO BE ALL IN), a reporter who wanted to start working on his own issues related to vulnerability, courage, and authenticity asked Brené,“Can you give me the upside of doing this work? Brené’s reply: it is the only path to more love, belonging, and joy.
“And the downside?”
“You’re going to stumble, fall, and get your ass kicked.”
If you’re wondering if this is where we tell you that daring is still worth it, with a passionate YES just like Brené, you’re right! But let's be real: when we're not face-down from a hard fall, it's an easy 'yes.' Mid-fall? Not so much, because bouncing back from those 'facedown' moments isn't our strong suit.
Our “facedown” moments can be anything from losing a job to learning your child has lied about their report card. So, what happens in that moment? How do you rise strong from such failures? Let’s learn about all of them with Brené’s “Rising Strong!”
Summary
Brené Brown's Rising Strong outlines a three-step process for overcoming adversity: reckoning, rumbling, and revolution. Reckoning is about acknowledging and understanding our emotions. It's like pressing pause on life to check in with your emotional state. Rumbling is the messy middle, where we challenge the stories we tell ourselves. It's like peeling back the layers of an onion, uncovering deeper truths with each layer. Finally, revolution is about rising from the ashes, stronger and more resilient. It's the triumphant return, armed with newfound understanding and courage.
Embrace vulnerability for rising strong
Unpopular opinion: vulnerability is not a weakness; it's the bravest thing we can do. Let's break it down: When you're vulnerable, you're being real. You're admitting that you don't have all the answers, and that's okay. This honesty builds trust and connection. And to truly live like this—to be "in the arena" of vulnerability—we must be willing to get our asses kicked. When you choose to be brave, you will fall. It’s inevitable. And once you’ve fallen, there’s no going...
The three steps for Rising Strong
When you struggle to stay upright in the midst of a storm, where the winds of doubt and fear are whipping around, you realize that you’re not just weathering the storm but learning to navigate its turbulence. This is how the transformative process of rising strong described by Brené will feel like, and it goes like this: The process begins with Reckoning—the moment we face our emotions head-on. It is where we recognize and get curious about our feelings, allow...
Reckoning your emotions for rising strong
Your emotions are a tangled ball of yarn. And reckoning is untangling this mess, one thread at a time. The first step in reckoning is recognizing your emotions, and acknowledging what you're feeling, without judgment or avoidance. Owning our story - fully embracing our experiences, both the good and the bad can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. And to do that, you gotta show curiosity. Instead of labeling feelings as "good"...
Rumbling with our stories for rising strong
Our stories are messy—the “conspiracies” and “confabulations” we create to make sense of our experiences. Too many heavy words at once, right? We get it. How about an example? If you send a text to a friend, and hours go by without a response, your mind starts spinning a story—maybe they’re mad at you, or perhaps they’re just ignoring you. That’s conspiracy at work. Conspiracies are those worst-case scenarios our brains whip up, fueled by fear and uncertainty. It’s our...
Rumble BIG and Rise Strong
To reclaim our emotional space, we gotta be “Living BIG!” ‘B’ is for Boundaries in the acronym BIG. Imagine navigating through a city filled with sewer rats—these rats symbolize the toxic emotions and self-doubt that creep into our minds. When you feel those sewer rats creeping in—like self-doubt or frustration—it’s often a sign that our boundaries have been crossed or aren’t clearly defined. It’s time to set boundaries. And to effectively set boundaries, we need to rumble with our own...
For rising strong, rumble with common emotions of expectations, disappointment, and forgiveness
So far, you’ve learned rumbling with boundaries, integrity, and generosity. Now we move on to some more challenging emotions. A brief precap? This section is all about rumbling with unmet expectations, how they lead to disappointment and resentment. And how rumbling helps you stay sane through it all. We’ll also explain rumbling with forgiveness, even as you feel heartbroken and grieved. Cool? Then tell us something: Do you also feel that our unmet expectations are often at the heart of...
Confront All Your Messy Emotions on the Path to Rising Strong
Navigating the terrain of failure, fear, and regret is like walking through a dark forest—unsettling and full of obstacles. But it is also rich with opportunities for discovery and growth. The only way to see those opportunities is walking through it. The biggest obstacle to this daring is the fear of failure. To truly rise strong, we must first rumble with these challenging emotions - facing fears and vulnerabilities directly rather than avoiding them. If you pour your heart into...
Revolution for rising strong
What if your deepest struggles become the very catalysts for profound change? This is the essence of “The Revolution” in Rising Strong. At the heart of this revolution is Brené’s framework of "The 5 Rs"—Respect, Rumble, Rally, Recover, and Reach Out. This method is more than a process; it’s a practical guide for navigating the complexities of our emotional journeys. Respect yourself, others, the journey, and the story we create together. Rumble and engage in open discussions—whether it's about ideas,...
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About the Author
Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She also holds the position of visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.
Brené has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers and is the host of two award-winning podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead.
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