Before Brené...

My life can be divided into two parts: before Brené Brown’s “The Gift Of Imperfection” and after.

Before December of 2013, I had never heard of Brené nor used the word vulnerability. I was a semi-recovering food addict, and on my way to being an alcoholic. I had two kids, was divorced, my mom had recently died, and I was in a relationship with a man who was my knight-in-shining-armor. 

 A new friend of mine had asked me to take Brené Brown's online course with her. “What is a Brené Brown?” I asked.

“You know...the woman who went viral with the Ted Talk on vulnerability...you seriously never heard of Brené?”

Nope, I never heard of Brené Brown, but I did know that I loved hanging with my new friend. She was so funny and smart. If she was offering me a chance to do something with her, I was not going to pass that up. 

I signed up for Brené’s online course, “The Gift of Imperfection,” and life has never been the same since. #whatnowbrené? 

Brené made me do it.

Thank you Brené for my permission slips!

The first thing I Learned was to make permission slips for the things that I was avoiding or afraid of doing or judging myself for.

1.  I give myself permission to take risks
2.  I give myself permission to look stupid
3.  I give myself permission  to be honest
4.  I give myself permission to commit 
5.  I give myself permission to be Grey
6.  I give myself permission to be filled with complexities

If only i could have told all those who called me selfish and reckless and hurtful that I had a permission slip. "oh wait i forgot to show you my Slip! "here  you go , I was just embracing The grey in my Life, getting honest and embracing my complexities being  willing to commit to risk taking regardless of looking stupid." Yup, its all there in my permission slip."  #Whatnowbrené?