Many people think of perfectionism as striving to be your best, but it is not about self-improvement; it's about earning approval and acceptance.

Compassion is not a virtue -- it is a commitment. It's not something we have or don't have -- it's something we choose to practice.

If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can't survive.

Shame cannot survive being spoken. It cannot tolerate having words wrapped around it. What it craves is secrecy, silence, and judgment. If you stay quiet, you stay in a lot of self-judgment.

I'm just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I'm alive.

One of the greatest barriers to connection is the cultural importance we place on "going it alone." Somehow we've come to equate success with not needing anyone. Many of us are willing to extend a helping hand, but we're very reluctant to reach out for help when we need it ourselves. It's as if we've divided the world into "those who offer help" and "those who need help." The truth is that we are both.

It's a practice for me every day, sometimes every hour of every day. It is an absolute practice. When I went into the research, I really thought that there are authentic people and inauthentic people, period. What I found is, there people who practice authenticity and people who don't. The people who practice authenticity work their ass off at it.