I was watching a segment of Brene Brown’s discussion on vulnerability with Oprah on Super Soul Sunday, and Brene definitely stated,”You share with the people who have earned the right to hear your story.”
This
instantly hit home as I’ve been feeling disconnected in my new
workplace. I do not have “a person” (as Meredith Grey frequently refers
to as Christine Yang). I don’t have someone I can truly confide in about
my own concerns, insecurities and anxieties that arise from a new job
and the associated challenges. At this point in our lives, it is
abundantly clear that the only path to true connection is through
vulnerability. As such, I have selectively had conversations where I was
vulnerable with a few coworkers that I thought may understand. These
conversations were received with varying levels of validation and
empathy but one thing that has not happened is reciprocation. I don’t
know if everyone at this company is afraid to be vulnerable or if it is
generally taken as a sign of weakness to be vulnerable (aka real) in the
workplace. Either way I’ve been feeling isolated and disconnected.
During
the interview, Oprah and Brene remark that if you have one friend who
‘shows up’ for you when you are vulnerable, that is all you need. And if
you have 2 or 3 friends who ‘show up’, consider yourself lucky. Well, I
must be the luckiest superhero on the planet because I need two hands
to count the number of close friends who show up and support me not just
when I’m feeling vulnerable but when they are too. True friends that
you know will not judge or critique but who show empathy and compassion
as we are all trying to ‘grow our gardens’ in a sometimes difficult
environment (see earlier post).
I highly recommend checking out a few of Brene Brown’s segments with Oprah
- they are chuncked into short bits by topic so you can glean amazing
insights without being glued to your computer screen. If you watch/have
watched the interviews, please share any parts that hit home for you!
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