Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution.

Social scientist Brené Brown has started a worldwide dialogue on shame, worthiness, bravery, and vulnerability. Her groundbreaking research revealed a vital truth: the only way to experience more love, belonging, creativity, and pleasure is to be vulnerable, which is defined as being ready to show up and be seen without any assurance of results. But being courageous is not always simple; we may err and fall from time to time.

In Rising Strong, Brown explores the idea of rising over adversity. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened to a variety of individuals tell their tales of being courageous, falling, and getting back up. These people include CEOs in Fortune 500 businesses, the military, artists, long-term couples, teachers, and parents. What, she thought to herself, is it that clergy members who accompany people through faith and mystery, leaders who foster creativity, artists who push the boundaries of innovation, and individuals with deep and meaningful relationships have in common? The response was unambiguous: They embrace discomfort and are aware of the power of emotion.

Entering our world of pain might seem risky. However, it is during the process of recovering our footing in the face of adversity that our bravery is put to the test and our values are formed. Our struggles might be major ones, like quitting a job or ending a relationship, or they can be little ones, like having a disagreement with a friend or coworker. Whatever the size or situation, the growing strong process always works the same way: We wrestle with our tales until we find the truth; we confront our emotions and become inquisitive about how we are feeling; and we go through this process daily until it becomes a habit and brings about nothing less than a revolution in our life. It is by getting back up after a setback that we develop wholeheartedness. According to Brown, the process is what really reveals the most about our personalities.