When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice.
Bren BrownRead
Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it's the thing that's really preventing us from taking flight.
Interpretation
Perfectionism can hinder personal growth and progress rather than protect us.
Brené Brown's quote reflects the idea that the pursuit of perfection is not a safeguard against failure or inadequacy; instead, it creates a burden that can stifle creativity and personal development. The 'twenty-ton shield' symbolizes how our desire for perfection can become a heavy obstacle, preventing us from taking risks, embracing vulnerability, and ultimately achieving our true potential.
In practice
During a workshop on creativity, I shared this quote to encourage participants to embrace imperfection.
When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice.
Social media has given us this idea that we should all have a posse of friends when in reality, if we have one or two really good friends, we are lucky.
What we know matters but who we are matters more.
Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are.
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.
Nostalgia is also a dangerous form of comparison. Think about how often we compare our lives to a memory that nostalgia has so completely edited that it never really existed.
Just as lavishness leads easily to presumption, so does frugality to meanness. But meanness is a far less serious fault than presumption.
When you are completely free from boundaries, you don't have to have a huge number of material things. You already own something far more precious. You own yourself.
When you’re focused outside and believe that your problem is caused by someone else, rather than by your attachment to the story you’re believing in the moment, then you are your own victim, and the situation appears to be hopeless.
Without dark clouds in our lives, we would never know the joy of sunshine. We can become callous and unteachable if we do not learn from pain.
The growth of a naturalist is like the growth of a musician or athlete: excellence for the talented, lifelong enjoyment for the rest, benefit for humanity.
Truth is something which you must see immediately — and to see something clearly you must give your heart and your mind and your whole being to it immediately.
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