Rob Harmon sent me a link to Brene Brown‘s TED speech and I laughed so hard. It was one of those cathartic crazy laughing things. Brene Brown takes us on her personal research journey and then pulls everything together to show how dangerous perfectionism and how it will forever prevent you from connecting authentically with one another or with yourself. This is also true for corporations, politicians. What I noticed the second time (yes I watched it a couple of times) is the abundance of self-depreciating humor echoing her message of vulnerability and authenticity. I can’t stop laughing about how she wanted to go to therapy to get “strategies” as she certainly didn’t want to “talk about shit.”
On our way to school, Simone and Naomi got to hear the talk. Simone said Brene sounded like her teacher Miss Mary. “In our class, we are encouraged to feel proud of where we are.” Naomi jumped in here, “Yeah, Mommy, I’m proud of doing things myself.” Simone continued, “In class, we work on taking chances, like reading out load, that’s really scary, but most of the time no one laughs at me.” “They are supposed to encourage me, and Mom, the boys in my class sometimes …ahh…..don’t get this so much.” Naomi then said, “I want to be an animal doctor or a person doctor or a human doctor.” “Another thing” Simone said, “Did you know that you are not helping if you are complaining or pointing out a problem?” “Helping is when you are nice when the other person messes the whole thing up and has to start over.”
What do we each spend the day on? Debra builds Delicious Baby, Monica builds idazzle, Catherine is managing “the American Dream” (yes, really…and living it too) and I’m producing the Artist Toolbox.