One of my ‘spirit animals’ and favorite authors, I first became aware of Brené Brown’s work and teachings through her TedX talks and then through her wonderful books. The Gifts of Imperfection contains some particularly golden quotes for me and here are some of my favorites.
“Let go of you you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are.”
“What’s the greater risk? Letting go of what people think or…letting go of how I feel, what I believe and who I am?”
“We often try to acquire a sense of belonging by ‘fitting in’ and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”
“Practicing self-love means learning how to trust ourselves, to treat others with respect, and to be kind and affectionate toward ourselves.”
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
“Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think: no matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.”
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are. Choosing authenticity means:
-cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable.
-exercising the compassion that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle.
-nurturing the connection and sense of belonging that can only happen when we believe that we are enough.
Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitude into our lives.”
And a few great quotes from other authors, who Brené borrows for this same book:
“Advertising is an over $200 billion a year industry. We are exposed to over 3,000 ads per day. Yet, remarkably, most of us believe we are not influenced by advertising. Ads sell a great deal more than products. They sell values, images, and concepts of success and worth, love and sexuality, popularity and normalcy. They tell us who we are and who we should be.” -Jean Killbourne
“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” -Anna Quindlen
“Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you really need to do, in order to have what you want.” -Margaret Young