Living in the Arena

So there is a person (Brene Brown), as well as a book (Daring Greatly), who has been pretty influential to my ever-shaping desire to be living a more authentic, purposeful life.

I've had much thought and discussions about this (the more "authentic, purposeful life"), and what it boils down to is that I just like this shit. It feels real. I don't know how the hell to get it, but I believe it's out there and is attainable.

You might be wondering what the heck I'm talking about, and it refers to what Brene Brown states as being either in or out of the arena. The ones who are living in the arena are the ones who are fighting for a good, authentic life. A life that has meaning and purpose to them. A life that is honest and not falling in line with the politics or sometimes the bad energy of others. These people are pursuing their passions and not feeding the bad in the world (the bad being the mean-ness, critical, vindictive tendencies a human sometimes fall prey to).

I watched a great YouTube clip with Brene Brown and it's on the power of being vulnerable. I loved it, and it speaks so much to the way in which one can live a pretty darn good life: through vulnerability. It's a long one, though, so beware.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd3DYvBGyFs

This clip also brought to mind a specific instance and person at work whom I recognize is afraid to be vulnerable and as a result desperately tries to look into the mirror of someone's (perceived) failure as justification for the actions s/he chooses. The only reason I mention this latter part is because understanding my role at work is a huge part of what I'm trying to figure out recently, and this video brings clarity to my own relationships and place at work and allows me to focus my intentions and actions in more refined ways, and for that, I am grateful.

I'm sure for my next post you might want something a bit more light, so I have one about food that will follow in the week to come. Oh and if you don't know, it's my birthday tomorrow (this should bring more clarity as to why I'm writing about living a more authentic life---nothing like a birthday to get the wheels turning)! Big hugs to you all.

Oh, there is also this cool website I just discovered: The Good Life Project http://www.goodlifeproject.com/