Rising Strong: Defying Failure

“Failure is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be terminal” – Brené Brown

Failure is an inevitable part of life that everyone experiences, regardless of whether it’s in their personal or professional lives. However, how people handle failure can make all the difference in the way they move forward. Brené Brown challenges readers to rise strong from their failures and learn from them in her book, Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. In this article, we will explore the key points from Rising Strong and how they can help readers defy failure.

The Physics of Vulnerability

The Physics of Vulnerability is the foundation of Brown’s work. Vulnerability is defined as uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. It can be uncomfortable, and naturally, humans tend to avoid it. However, Brown believes that vulnerability is at the core of everything – from relationships to work.

Brown emphasizes that being vulnerable is not a weakness, but a strength. She says that “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” Being honest with oneself and others about their feelings, thoughts, and experiences is part of being vulnerable.

When people embrace vulnerability, they allow themselves to experience life fully. This means taking risks, being open to new experiences, and being willing to fail. Only by being vulnerable can they truly connect with others and build meaningful relationships.

The Reckoning

The Reckoning is the first step in Brown’s Rising Strong process. It involves reflecting on emotions and thoughts following a failure or setback, to understand what happened and how readers are feeling about it.

Brown emphasizes that it’s important to approach the Reckoning without judgment. Rather than resist feelings or beat themselves up over a mistake, readers should be curious and compassionate towards themselves.

The Rumble

The Rumble is the second step in Rising Strong. It involves exploring the stories people tell themselves about their experiences. These stories can either be limiting or empowering, depending on how they frame them.

Brown encourages people to dig deep and examine the beliefs and assumptions underlying their stories. They must question these beliefs and reframe them in a more positive light. It requires courage and vulnerability as they may need to confront their fears and insecurities.

The Revolution

The Revolution is the final step in Rising Strong. It involves using newfound insights and perspective to make positive changes in life. This can take many forms, such as setting new goals, changing behaviors, or improving relationships.

Brown argues that the key to a successful Revolution is to be intentional and take action. Simply recognizing issues and challenges is not enough; people must actively work towards solutions.

The Rising Strong Process in Action

Brown shares several examples from her own life and research to illustrate the Rising Strong process in action. One of the stories is about a woman named Laura who experienced a major setback in her career.

Laura had spent years working towards her dream job, only to be fired after just a few months. She was devastated and felt like a failure. However, instead of wallowing in self-pity, Laura decided to embrace vulnerability and reflect on what had happened.

Through the Reckoning and Rumble steps of the Rising Strong process, Laura realized that she had been placing too much pressure on herself to succeed. She had also been ignoring her intuition, which had been warning her that the job was not a good fit.

With these insights, Laura was able to make positive changes. She started a new business doing work that aligned with her values and strengths. She also learned to trust her intuition and listen to her own needs.

Why Rising Strong Works

Brown’s research shows that the Rising Strong process is effective in helping people bounce back from failure. It is not a quick fix or a magic bullet, but a process that requires courage, vulnerability, and effort.

Rising Strong works because it helps reframe the stories people tell themselves. When they experience failure, they tend to create negative narratives that reinforce their feelings of shame and inadequacy. However, through the Rumble step of the process, they can challenge these stories and create new, more positive ones.

Rising Strong also works because it encourages people to take intentional action. It’s not enough to simply reflect on emotions and thoughts; they must also take steps to make positive changes in life. This requires courage and effort, but the results can be transformative.

Finally, Rising Strong works because it’s rooted in vulnerability and compassion. Brown emphasizes that people must be willing to be vulnerable with themselves and others in order to learn and grow. This requires a certain level of self-compassion as they must be willing to accept their imperfections and learn from their mistakes.

Conclusion

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead is a powerful book that offers a roadmap for bouncing back from failure. Through the Reckoning, Rumble, and Revolution steps of the process, readers can learn to embrace vulnerability and create new, more positive stories.

If they do so, they can become more resilient, adaptive, and confident. They can learn from mistakes and use them as opportunities for growth and learning. So the next time they experience failure, they should remember that it doesn’t have to be terminal. With the Rising Strong process, they can defy failure and come out stronger on the other side.