Brené Brown is a professor at the University of Houston graduate school of social work. She is not a psychologist or counselor. She does scientific research regarding human behavior, and following are some of her conclusions:"
- What we all want most is to feel connected to each other—to feel cared for. Connection is why we're here."
- Fear and shame make connection impossible.
- In order to connect, we must be "excruciatingly vulnerable," which means to be open and honest.
- What separates those who feel loved and connected from those who don't is that the former feel they're worthwhile human beings.
- People who connect with others have the courage to admit their imperfections—to be vulnerable.
- We tend to numb our vulnerability with addictive behaviors and substances: food, money, alcohol, medications.
- Instead of genuinely connecting with each other, we put our energy into being perfect, and—failing that—we pretend to be perfect.
- We tend to eliminate our pain and responsibility for it by blaming others, which makes connection impossible.
- In order to connect, we must let ourselves be seen as we are.
- In order to connect, we must love with our whole heart without any guarantee of a positive response.
Does all this sound familiar? These scientific discoveries have been documented worldwide for many years by people practicing Real Love, the principles that teach us HOW to become vulnerable and how to find the love that will change our lives. It's fun to see science confirm intuition and inspiration.
