Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitude into our lives.

Healthy striving is self-focused: "How can I improve?" Perfectionism is other-focused: "What will they think?"

I define vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. With that definition in mind, let’s think about love. Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can’t ensure, who may stay in our lives or may leave without a moment’s notice, who may be loyal to the day they die or betray us tomorrow—that’s vulnerability.

Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy.

Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story. It hates having words wrapped around it - it can't survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy... When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes.

When you don't put your initials behind your name, and I've got tons of them, and when you talk about storytelling or love or gratitude, you're diminishing your legitimacy and importance in this world.

Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.