The truth is, I'm a storyteller. And it scares me, because my training as an academic is that the more accessible you are and the more human you are, the less smart you are. It's a shame trigger for me to be honest.

We are hardwired to connect with others, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.

There really is "no effort without error and shortcoming" and there really is no triumph without vulnerability.

Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver. And our world could stand to be a little kinder and braver.

Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.

Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.

On the flip side, I've also had to struggle with saying "yes." Before I did this research and before I had my own breakdown and spiritual awakening around this work, my motto was, "Don't do anything that you're already not great at doing." Which I think is the way the majority of adults in our culture live. Authenticity is also about the courage and the vulnerability to say, "Yeah, I'll try it. I feel pretty uncomfortable and I feel a little vulnerable, but I'll try it!"