What We're Reading: Michelle Recommends

I’m a long-time Brené Brown fan, so I was excited to get her new book, Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone. I chose to listen to it rather than read it because I find her narration particularly enjoyable. And, as usual, Brown's book did not disappoint. Her combination of research, storytelling, and personal experiences completely engaged me.

In Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to belong in an age of increased separation.

Even though I "read" it quickly, I found myself thinking a lot about her ideas, especially the following: “True belonging doesn't require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are. True belonging is not passive. It's not the belonging that comes with just joining a group . . . fitting in or pretending or selling out because it's safer. It's a practice that requires us to be vulnerable, get uncomfortable, and learn how to be present with people without sacrificing who we are. We want true belonging, but it takes tremendous courage to knowingly walk into hard moments.”

I encourage anyone interested in deepening personal connections in our increasingly divisive world to give this book a try.