Just watched the above TED talk with Brene’ Brown and it really hit home as it’s probably the most important as well as fascinating human attribute we fight.
It seems that we think that if we show weakness that we’re somehow not worthy of love, respect, joy—you name it! We beat it away with all sorts of stuff. We numb it and hope it goes away. It doesn’t.
It’s this very thing, vulnerability, which I weave into all my characters in some way. Like Eve Moss, in my Madeline Island series, she tries to push life away by being in constant motion. But life eventually finds her.
And me—I just released a new novel, Full Moon Over Madeline Island, and you would not believe how vulnerable I feel. Oh, I’m excited, of course. But by announcing this birth of a new novel I allow for (one must hope) the world to more or less judge me through my work. And you know what? I’m okay with it. I’m grateful for this moment as it unfolds and becomes whatever the future holds.
Sure, I hope this novel does really really well. But that doesn’t take away this vulnerability that I have set in motion. But how else do we grow into whatever it is we’re supposed to be if we don’t open ourselves up and take chances?
One of the closing thoughts that Brene’ offers her audience to consider, take to heart and believe is:
I am enough
Isn’t that perfect. Oh, and by the way, you are enough.
—Jay
This is great Jay – thanks for sharing! Vulnerability is a huge thing for me as a new writer. Sharing my writing has led to much deeper connections and gives me more courage to share more.
Absolutely true in every way! It’s hard to put something out there in the great void, for fear of rejection, judgement or whatever. I’m glad people still try anyway. We are all enough…
Thank yo both, it truly is ‘hard’ to be true to the person inside. Yet once you find a way, say through writing, something unfolds and loosens up. You find something new—you find YOU!