What The Grinch & I Have In Common

You know the scene in the Live Action version of The Grinch where he first feels his heart... It hurts him. It feels good... but it hurts him. There's something that I've really been working on in 2017... letting people in and allowing myself to feel emotions about them. It can be scary to let people in. It gives them the power to hurt you. 

There's a Ted Talk by Brene Brown called The Power of Vulnerability that I HIGHLY suggest you watch. I watched this Ted Talk for a project at work and I had to write about how I felt about the topic. This is what I wrote after my initial exposure: "She talks about how being connected with someone means that you had to open up and be vulnerable with them. I don’t like being vulnerable. It’s why I have such tall walls when it comes to people in general. New people usually equal more pain. Try to make a new friend, open up to them, and then there’s a really good chance they’re just gonna step on you on their way out. I’ve had this happen one too many times. This is definitely why I’m not “connected” to many people. I don’t want to be vulnerable, so therefore, I let no one in." This was the attitude I had for a long time. It was only this year that I decided that I was willing to take the chance of being hurt in order to feel more connected to others around me. 

Everything in this world requires us to be vulnerable to a point. Until we can accept that and use it as a tool, we’re going to be missing out on a lot of great opportunities. I think sometimes that being “vulnerable” translates into being scared and maybe even weak. We don’t want to be seen that way, so instead we shut ourselves off and we refuse to be vulnerable. That is a one-way ticket to unhappiness. This is something I've really been trying to work on. I WANT to let people in. I've had to convince the colder parts of me that this is what we want, but it has been SO beneficial to me.
This world really just needs a little more love. To finish, here are a couple of my favorite quotes from "The Power of Vulnerability": 

“The people who have a good sense of love and belonging believe that they are worthy of love and belonging.”
“We can’t practice compassion with someone else if we can’t treat ourselves kindly."
"The original definition of courage was to “tell the whole story of who you are with your whole heart”. "

What are some of your goals for yourself for 2018? It might be cliche, but I really do think starting the new year with goals for yourself is crucial. 

Some of my goals include: 
1. Reading all of Preach My Gospel
2. Dedicating myself more to this blog and improving it
3. Get back on track with the gym & eating healthy (who doesn't have a goal like this?)
4. Trying to show more love to others
5. Being a better wife
6. Starting the renovations on our house and completing at least one level

I really think that 2018 is going to be a big year for us & I'm really excited!

XOXO, Danielle ♥