Brene Brown and Vulnerability

In the arena of being a carer

Over the years when I have found times to be tough, I go back to thinking of the quote "The Man in the Arena" but of course these days it would be good to re-title it as "The Person in the Arena". Theodore Roosevelt many years ago captured beautifully the courage of the person in the arena who "dares greatly", sometimes over and over again. Being "in the arena" is hard work. Sometimes you feel strong and can roll with the punches but at other times you feel like curling up in a corner of the arena and just taking a rest. Other times you may need to exit the arena temporarily or for a longer period but no one can ever say you didn't give it a crack and you can take pride in the fact that you were not one of those "cold and timid souls" who prefer to point the finger from the sidelines.

What does this have to do with CAA? It's a tough job as a carer and tough as your role changes from that of partner and the additional role of carer gradually emerges and trying to balance the two. It's challenging and it's confronting but if you are willing to allow yourself to become vulnerable it can be transformative. 

Brene Brown

I would like to introduce you to the work of Brene Brown who has been influential in my thinking about CAA and other challenges in my life. Check out her TED talks.

 


 


 




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