Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness.

If you put shame in a petri dish, it needs three ingredients to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence, and judgment. If you put the same amount of shame in the petri dish and douse it with empathy, it can't survive.

Shame: We all have it. It's that gremlin that says 'I'm not enough.' Or, if you're feeling pretty confident,...'ooh, who do you think you are?' Shame always has a seat.

We can’t practice compassion with other people if we can’t treat ourselves kindly.

Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives.

If you want to make a difference, the next time you see someone being cruel to another human being, take it personally. Take it personally because it is personal!

That's really part of being a grounded theory researcher - putting names to concepts and experiences that people have.