I Thought It Was Just Me

01We can't totally get rid of shame, but we can learn to handle it better

In her book, Brené Brown makes it clear that shame isn't something only a few people experience after going through major traumas. Nope, it's something we all face at some point. And it doesn't just hide in the shadows of our minds. It shows up in places we know all too well, like how we feel about our bodies, our roles as mothers, our family relationships, our jobs, our struggles with addiction, our mental and physical health, our sexual experiences, our aging process, and our religious beliefs. Shame has a big impact on our lives. The less we understand about it and how it affects our feelings, thoughts, and actions, the more power it has over us. Now, we can't completely avoid feeling shame, but we can build up our resilience to lessen its effects. This resilience helps us recognize shame when it pops up, deal with it in a healthy way, and learn from the experience. In her book, Brown gives us some really useful insights and tips for understanding shame and building up our resilience against it. For example, she says that if we can admit to feeling shame and understand what triggers it, we can handle it better. She also stresses how important it is to be kind to ourselves and to reach out to others for support when we're dealing with shame. She also points out how society's expectations and norms can make us feel shame, especially as women. For instance, we can feel shame if we don't live up to society's standards for how we should look or how we should be as mothers. If we can recognize these societal pressures, we can better understand and fight the shame we feel. In short, Brown's book is a powerful resource for all women. It gives us practical advice and strategies for understanding shame and building up our resilience against it. This helps us take back our power and courage. The book is really practical, making it a must-read for anyone who wants to build up their courage and resilience against the all-too-common culture of shame.