The Beginning

On August 29th, 42 professionals, including myself, began our Challenge Detroit Fellowship year. We arrived from Detroit, Michigan, the U.S. and beyond, excited for the year ahead, but unknowing of what may be in store. We listened to local leaders, toured Detroit by bus, bike, and foot, participated in ice breakers and get-to-know-you exercises, climbed up walls and on high ropes courses, participated in established community events, engaged in conversation, and did fun social things.

The well-planned orientation was designed to prepare us for the coming year, establish a common basis of Detroit knowledge, enable us to develop as a team, and introduce concepts and skills that will be later put to use. Leaders and speakers provided us with recommendations for success and challenged us to develop a personal brand. We then set goals related to living, working, playing, giving, and leading in the city. The recommendations were very valuable and although I cannot speak for all of my fellow Fellows, I for one, intend to put many of them into practice during my next year and beyond.

However, as I reflect on the beginning of my Challenge Detroit journey, concepts that were not discussed come to mind; concepts that I believe are integral to our individual personal and professional development and the work we will do as Fellows in Detroit – vulnerability and shame.

Vulnerability – Vulnerability is emotional risk, exposure, and uncertainty. It is perceived as weakness, but it is not. Vulnerability is the core of shame, fear, and our struggle for worthiness, but it is also the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, and love. It is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change, and the path to find us back to each other.

Shame – Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. Shame is the fear of disconnection because we have done, failed to do, or experienced something that makes us unworthy of connection. It is the result of defining ourselves by our behaviors and actions. It is universal, but it is neither helpful or productive.

I recently spent time exploring vulnerability and shame with the help of Brene Brown. Her invaluable TED talks and books have helped me reckon with these emotions, and understanding vulnerability and shame in my life has been game-changing.

Source: Brene Brown and www.gazinggirl.com

I would like to begin a conversation on vulnerability and shame and their role in human interaction and community engagement. However, I feel these topics are better served in a series of posts, rather than a single 300-word entry. Therefore, my posts in the coming months will dig deeper into vulnerability and shame, discussing them in the context of living, working, playing, giving, and leading in Detroit.

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Now, if you’re still reading, and that didn’t scare you away, I encourage you to watch the TED talks on Brene’s website via the link above.