chew on this.

"in this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can only do with somebody else. it's important to combine the two in just the right amount." --haruki murakami

vulnerability

i've noticed that there has been, in recent times, a lot more books, articles, and discussions that focus on being happy. it seems that more and more people are offering their approaches on how to find and then maintain daily happiness. and not surprisingly, these approaches have common themes and similar recommendations. perhaps this is nothing new and there has always been a (growing) niche for self help books, but, i believe that the current emotional state of the human collective is inching its way towards a global meltdown and the rise of happy help is an obvious indication of how unhappy we really are.

vulnerability is defined as "capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt." the word itself conjures up images of weakness, inadequacy, and loss. while vulnerability is a host of suffering, (which is inevitable in life!) brene brown, also identifies that it is also the birthplace of happiness, joy, and connection. without the vulnerability of pain, we do not allow the entrance of joy since they are connected to each other through the maze of human emotions. thanks to ted, i heard her speak and was moved to tears. it struck me beautifully, how true it is that if we numb the shame and fear we feel, we also numb our joys and connection. 

watch it here! the power of vulnerability


i am leaning more into vulnerability and discomfort and uncertainty (and shedding the negative connotations of those words) because in doing so, i lean so much more into joy. i invite you to do the same.