Every morning, I begin my work day by sitting in stillness. Some mornings I start my stillness practice by reading a section of a book that I feel drawn to on my shelf. Today's was Dare to Lead, by Brené Brown.

This quote leapt off the page for me...which means it was what just I needed to hold onto for today:

“Our ability to be daring leaders will never be greater than our capacity for vulnerability.”

— Brené Brown

It resonated because I feel called to be a daring leader.

And yet, I can sense where the limits are to my vulnerability. I can just make their edges, as if I’m navigating a dark room.

Here's where I’ve noticed the edges of my vulnerability extending to these days:

Standing up and declaring that
I AM ENOUGH.
I don't have to DO anything to be loved, I am already worthy of it.

It’s taken a long time to get here, and I am proud that I can now say this comfortably…sitting down. It's the metaphorical standing up and declaring it that feels vulnerable. There is a part of me that feels threatened so resists the effort.
Rooting myself in absolute conviction of WHAT I WILL DO.

I'm sooo much clearer and certain on what I’m here on this earth to do….And yet, there's still a small and insidious Question skulking around in the shadows that taunts: Are you surrrre?
Leaning full-on into Faith that the HOW will be revealed to me, at the right time.

Over the past year, I’ve learned to trust the Universe more. Now that I’m paying attention to what appears in my life, I’m far more certain that there are no “coincidences”. So I make requests of the Universe, and I take small steps forward, keeping my eye out for signs that the Universe has delivered. But it still feels scary to take those big steps…like walking off the edge of a cliff and having Faith that a bridge across will be built under my feet as I go.
Sharing stories about myself freely, in my sometimes roundabout and animated way, speaking my Truth…so I inspire others to be fully-expressed and true to themselves.

I've witnessed myself doing this more and more over the years, mostly in one-on-one conversations, with the right company. But I still fall into "performing" - which for me is recounting stories with diluted emotion and withheld details - when I have more of an audience or I feel Judgment’s presence.
Choosing to answer the question “How are you?” from a place of gratitude, abundance and joy.

Though I’ve been consciously choosing a different, more expansive story to tell on the whole, I still find myself seduced daily by the desire to "connect" with someone over our shared stories of struggle, scarcity and limitation (ie. "I'm exhausted, I'm working so hard, there’s not enough time, I just can't seem to catch a break.") It's always easy to find people to commiserate with, so I always feel like I “belong”.

The practice of expanding our capacity for vulnerability is in taking baby steps forward, conducting experiments.

So, over to you…..

Where do the edges of your vulnerability extend to?

I invite you to explore, and simply notice…without judgment or attachment.

Do you have a hard time admitting you could really use some help?
What if you were to ask for help with one thing and see how that feels?
Are you ashamed to admit when you're dropping balls because you're afraid of disappointing people?
What if you let one person know you’re having a hard time keeping up, and see what happens?
Does it feel uncomfortable to put your schedule on pause and take time for yourself?
What if you started with just ten minutes of “you time”….Notice what difference that makes.

What’s getting in the way of you being a daring leader? What’s one experiment you can take in this area to expand your capacity for vulnerability?