The Counterculture of Courage Embraces Vulnerability

(Note: This blog rewords and/or heavily cites the references below).

We tend to think that being vulnerable is the same as being weak. But really the extent to which we are willing to be vulnerable is directly related to the depth of our courage and it is the birthplace of our creativity. Here are examples of being vulnerable:

Sharing an idea at work.
Saying “I love you” first.
Taking accountability for something that went wrong.
Calling someone who just lost their child.
Helping someone who is struggling.
Starting a company or a blog.

Each of these events demand that we “show up” completely, authentically, and creatively.
Many workplaces seem to have lost sight of the importance of courage (vulnerability) and creativity. Everywhere one can see examples of what Brené Brown calls the “scarcity culture” which has:

A prominence of people struggling with shame (Am I doing okay? Will I be laughed at?)
A pandemic of disengagement (Fear of being thought unworthy. Fear of speaking up.)
Rampant comparing and evaluating (Have I been promoted enough? Exhaustion as a status symbol. Am I making enough?)

And many people are exhausted and unhappy with this culture. We think the opposite of scarcity is abundance (more time, more money) when really the opposite of scarcity is “enough”. Just enough.  

The counterculture of courage says “we can do hard things” and fosters:

Engagement.      “Take care of yourself. When you are here I need you engaged.”
Courage.             Embrace vulnerability. Be authentic.
Clarity.               A clear sense of purpose and meaning.

If failure is not an option then neither is innovation. In a company these attributes, and respectful engaged discourse, must be cultivated by the organization’s leaders, to provide an environment that fosters innovation in all aspects of business. Within teams, continuous respectful dynamics including communication, responsibility, commitment, respect, conflict-resolution and trust must be viewed as fundamental to tackling shared goals. Finally, each individual must find it comfortable to step outside one’s comfort zone, possible to silence inner critics, acceptable to fail, essential to meet commitments to others, okay to continually challenge oneself.

Within such an environment each person can find purpose, meaning, success, and joy. What can every person do?

Let go of who you think you are supposed to be and embrace who you are. I.e. don’t let shame guide you (am I doing okay?). You ARE enough.
Embrace vulnerability. In a respectful environment don’t play it safe. Take risks. Speak up. Be authentic.
Work hard and show up.  “All in” engagement.
This is not easy. Failure is a step forward. Practice, practice, practice.
Be compassionate. With yourself and also with others. You are enough and so are they.

On the connection with Yoga: In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali it says 1:14 “Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.” Mantra Yoga Samhita V.4 states, “Sādhana is the practice by which the desired end may be achieved.”  And Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa: Sādhana is your personal, individual effort. It is the main tool you use to work on yourself to achieve the purpose of life.”

You engaged when you arrived at (your yoga) practice and you stayed to the end – respecting yourself and doing what you can do and nothing more and nothing less. A yoga class can be a terrific place to heal yourself: show up, be authentic, practice, work hard, and be compassionate (about whatever happens that day). Sometimes I go to class thinking “this will be great” and the whole session is like being waterboarded for 90 mins. On those days I realize that “whatever showed up for me” was what I needed at that time. I thought things would be great but apparently I needed a reminder that sometimes that’s just not what happens and I STILL need to be authentic, work hard, and be compassionate about what I do.  And always –

Namaste (the light in me sees the light in you)
-tiff

Keys references:
Smart People Podcast Episode 45 – Brené Brown
http://www.smartpeoplepodcast.com/2012/01/15/episode-45-brene-brown/
Power of Vulnerability – Brené Brown
http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html
Brené also has a website, a blog, multiple books and other TED talks.