One Thing I Believe

“If not in the arena, also getting your %#@ kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback. Period.” -Brené Brown.

The more I write, the more I get to know myself. Sometimes I struggle, just like any other human being. I came across this video of Brené Brown and she said something in her talk that just stuck to me. Those words above, “If you’re not in the arena…” Her words rang in my head over and over. It helped me to come to a small, but important conclusion about the work that I do with kids. It helped me to give myself grace, even when others may not.

I have learned thus far that there are a few things that have helped me process my day to day experiences. There are some things I believe. And this is only one.

If you are not…
a person of color,
a woman,
a parent,
a spouse,
a leader,
an advocate for multilingual learners;

If you have not experienced adversity as a child;
If you haven’t actually lived in poverty, not as an experiment, but actually lived the experience―it is quite possible that I may not be completely interested in your feedback.