If you only ever read one book I recommend, let it be this one.
One of my all-time favorite books is The Velveteen Rabbit. For any who may not know the story, it’s about a stuffed rabbit who learns what it takes to become real. To me, Daring Greatly is the practical, grown-up version of that. It gives answers and ideas of how we can live authentically, or to put it in Velveteen Rabbit terms, be real.
Let me hit you with a few quotes from the book to show you what I mean.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly..." (Theodore Roosevelt) pg 1
“Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” Pg. 8
“The counterapproach to living in scarcity is not about abundance. In fact, I think abundance and scarcity are two sides of the same coin. The opposite of “never enough” isn’t abundance or “more than you could ever imagine.” The opposite of scarcity is enough, or what I call Wholeheartedness.
“…there are many tenets of Wholeheartedness, but at its very core is vulnerability and worthiness: facing uncertainty, exposure, and emotional risks, and knowing that I am enough.” pg. 29
“Only when we’re brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” pg. 60
“We can’t selectively numb emotion. Numb the dark and you numb the light.” Pg. 137
So, enough of those. Trust me; I could go on and on. There’s a part of me that would love to just quote the whole book to you but that would make for one looong blog post, and if you’re reading a blog you don’t want a book.
She has a fantastic TED talk here that will give you a better taste of the power of what she teaches. If you struggle with feeling like you’re not enough, or allowing what other people think of you have too much influence over you, if you have trouble actually feeling your feelings, or leaning into the discomfort of hard emotions, or you want ideas to help you be more present in your own life, this book can be life changing.
I know it has been for me.
I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. I’d love to hear what you think about it. Shoot me an email.