I purchased this book after being significantly influenced by Brene Brown's Ted Talk (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/bre...) on vulnerability. I watch Ted Talks daily, and I can tell you that this was the most impactful talk I've ever experienced. She was able to be funny, and honest, and extremely informative while putting it all out on the table about herself. I shared it with several friends, and each of them had their own significant response to the talk. Watch it, it's a great 20 minutes.

I decided that although I'm generally anti self-help, because her talk was so profound that I would read her book. It was not disappointing. Unlike most self-help books with psycho babble and rules, or nebulous statements, Brene presents stories, and the research of stories that she has collected in a way that is easily digestible, and yet still meaningful. I read the book in less than 24 hours, and I did walk away with some strategies to work on being my most authentic self. I also walked away with a better understanding of vulnerability - courage (I'm pretty good at), compassion (good with people I know, and not so good with people that I don't know), and connection (which I suck at). Although I was prepared to examine myself and see nothing but issues - especially with perfectionism, I surprised myself by finding that I'm really ok at several aspects of vulnerability.

Today I would rate myself on the 10 topics as follows (out of 5): Authenticity (4), Self-Compassion (2), Resiliency (4), Gratitude and Joy (3 - 3.5), Intuition and Trusting Faith (2.5, although it's more 1 and 5, depending on situation), Cultivating Creativity (2, I've lost so much of myself here), Cultivating Play and Rest (5), Cultivating Calm and Stillness (4), Cultivating Meaningful Work (3.5), Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance (3 - need to recapture a lot here as well).

Some small changes that I've decided to implement, based on this book:
- Waking up and telling myself that I've gotten a great night's sleep (something I do well)
- When I'm about to say that someone at work is a tard (I have a very long tard list), stop and practice compassion - remind myself that we're all doing the best that we can.
- Go to bed thinking about something that I did that I'm proud of that day
- Actively bring music and dance back into my life
- Take the time to enjoy the post-run "high"
- Find a class that scares me, and do it anyway - embracing the vulnerability of maybe being imperfect at something.

A very enjoyable and impactful book. I plan on buying several more copies and giving them to friends who will also get something out of it.