I signed me up for a class: Brene Brown and Jen Lemen’s Ordinary Courage: Lessons in Love, Shame, and Worthiness. Pray for me, please.
🙂
It’s a six week class…and my own teaching is still two classes shy of finishing at the university…but it’s been a while since I sunk my teeth into something consistent and regular for my own personal growth…so I’m just gonna take the leap. And I’ve long ago learned that when I personally am in a good space, I can do better work with clients as well.
The course is billed as:
Learn about the power of owning our story and the path that unfolds when we decide to cultivate shame-resilience instead of allowing shame to send us into hiding, numbing, perfectionism, or lashing out.
Experiment with opening up to self-compassion as we share in hands-on weekly activities designed to help us make that long journey from “What will people think” to “I am enough.”
I like the idea of “owning my story”…I’ve thought a lot about story. There’s an approach to therapy called “narrative therapy” which very much embraces “story” as a way to enrich one’s life. I’ve been through some tough stuff over the years…who hasn’t?…and so the idea of taking some time to reflect, and journal thoughts and move forward with a group of people who are doing the same appeals to me.
Brene Brown has
- a nice mix of scientific research to back up her claims…evidenced based work is important to me, with
- good real-world application
- presented by a person who lives her stuff…she’s real and authentic.
I have a firm belief that people are created and flourish best when they are in close, intimate, real connection with others…parents and children, husband and wife, best friends in childhood, a book club, a care group, an accountability group, a neighborhood coffee clatch…you get the idea.
Study after study shows people do better when they are closely connected with others in a way that has them feel loved; where they can be real about who they are, and that’s OK and accepted; where they can mean something to others by the giving and taking that happens in real relationships.
And yet, the very relationships that we seek, we are also hesitant to jump into…barriers interfere with those connections. I’m human…I’m no different. Shame is a critical barrier, and this course addresses that. I’m looking forward to this…at least I think I am. Ask me again in a few weeks, and we’ll see. Like I said, pray for me…there’s some trepidation in this not quite knowing what I’m in for.
They even set it up to reduce the potential shame of not being able to keep up. I have a full schedule that gets overfull at times, and my hesitation at taking the course was that I might miss…and then I’d feel like I’d failed. But they said that people could keep up, or go at their own pace. That sounds like my kind of class.
Brene Brown’s stuff makes a lot of sense…and she’s fun and engaging…check out her TED talks.
I could use your support during this, gracious readers. thanx.
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