“We can talk about courage and love and compassion until we sound like a greeting card store, but unless we’re willing to have an honest conversation about what gets in the way of putting these into practice in our daily lives, we will never change.”
~ Bréne Brown
This made me pause. There are so many of us who can be stuck in the place of wishing the words will transform our lives. Yet, greeting card words are not enough.
It made me think about what gets in the way of living from a place of compassion, or as Bréne Brown puts it, living “wholeheartedly”.
And what keeps coming to mind is that we can only be courageous and kind when we become aware of our inner world of thoughts, beliefs and feelings, and accept ourselves fully.
When we accept all aspects of ourselves without judgment, then we can let go of what other people think. Facing our shadow side takes courage.
It takes an inner resilience to look at the parts of ourselves that are hidden or that we may not like.
We have to be brave to look at the stories we have created for ourselves and see them for just that – stories.
It takes courage to let go of what we have always counted on to reinforce who we want to be; to become vulnerable to the truth instead of covering it up or denying it; to show our authentic face to the world.
Bréne Brown gets to the heart of the matter beautifully: “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky, but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy – the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
~ Bréne Brown
This is dedicated to all of you who have found the courage to connect to your inner being, to being authentic, and following your true Self.
This is also an invitation to others who are wanting to embrace this journey into the heart of your being. Having someone with you on this path supports your own unfolding.
I offer a free initial conversation by telephone or on Zoom. Listen to your inner wisdom. If the answer is yes to being more authentic and courageous, then complete the form below.



Well said kind lady, that path of inner truth is ever calling us my friend, daring us to call back. Great post Val, thank you 🤗❤️🙏
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Thank you my dear daredevil friend🥰
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Haha, why thank you kind lady. Even if I dare not stick my toe in the ocean just yet, it is still only early spring 🤣❤️🙏
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loved this
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Thank you so much 💛🙏💐
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Wow! Look at you! Go girl!!
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Thank you so much Sharon 💐🙏💖
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Good reminders and nudge for me. Thanks Val.
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Thank you Brad. We all need a little nudge along the way 💐🙏💖
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Agreed. 😊
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Thank you Val for your always helpful contributions & be well.
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Thanks so much Cindy💐🙏💖
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That B.Brown is pretty awesome! 👍🏼
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She is indeed! Thank you Eliza 💐🙏💖
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Each step toward authenticity causes us to smile. More and more often, we find ourselves thinking, “who I am is who I want to be.”
Unconcerned that Tweedle Dum and Dee disagree. 😀
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Thanks for the smile and reminder Nancy 💛 I’m in Scotland and dealing with my own tweedle dees from the past. Sitting here now and looking at a big fat wood pigeon in the bird path outside. He’s simply owning his place and taking his own sweet time. Thats a good lesson too.
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Good luck dealing with the Tweedle Dees. Emulate that big fat wood pigeon . . . not willing to trade its authenticity for approval!
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💞
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Thanks for expanding on the courage Brene Brown talks about. Your comment about words and transformation ring a bell with me. I had to admit that the only time words bring transformation is when I use them to shine light on my, our humanity and its direct link to the spirituality of divine Love, even the truth that what I said yesterday may not be so helpful today, so I need to pay attention to the constant flow of courage to change for the better.
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