Brave Enough To Be Bliss

“Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection.” Brené Brown I had a boss who was my opposite when it came to leadership. I sent her the following email because I wanted her to know that while my leadership was different, it wasn’t weak as she liked to believe, and there was purpose behind it that affected people’s lives as well as their work. I just wanted to share this article I ran across over the weekend because it seems like it may help explain why I try to lead like I do and that I am not the only one who does, and to show that it can be a worthwhile investment for the company as well as the employee. Certainly, it doesn't always work out, but I still believe it is worth the effort. I'm not trying to change your approach, of course, but rather just want to help you better understand and respect my approach and know that I am not weak and not the only one who leads this way.

Lead Like Jesus: With Empathy - Propel Women

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope empathy, accountability, and authenticity.” Brené Brown

A former sister-in- law of mine invited me to join John O’Leary’s Live Inspired Together group, “A community of friends changing the world together, starting with their own.” I receive weekly emails from him, and the group meets online monthly. I am sharing the following link to one of his emails because I found it so compelling.

Do You Have Ugly Feet: Mother Teresa's example reminds us that beauty is in the broken (johnolearyinspires.com)

“Wholeheartedness. There are many tenets of Wholeheartedness, but at its very core is vulnerability and worthiness; facing uncertainty, exposure, and emotional risks, and knowing that I am enough.” Brené Brown

At work, I was responsible for sharing monthly newsletters from our employee assistance program (EAP) to remind employees it was available to them and their families when help was needed. I had been sending these newsletters out for over a year and felt they were probably ignored for the most part. I started thinking about how I could draw employees ’ attention to the important information that was included, so I decided to share how I related to the information and see if perhaps my vulnerability would intrigue them enough to read my message and then the EAP material included in the newsletter.

To: Staff From: Ginger Bliss Date: Mon, Sep 12, 2022 at 7:00 AM

September is suicide awareness month and this month's issue of Life Happens covers a subject that is near and dear to my heart, finding help and hope. The first article uses an example of Al-Anon, but no matter the struggle, there are endless resources available including the Employee Assistance Program.

I have a semicolon tattoo on my ankle and often people will ask me what it means which gives me the opportunity to explain the following.

WHERE DOES SEMICOLON TATTOO COME FROM?

“The semicolon tattoo was popularized by Amy Bleuel. Having struggled with depression, addiction, and difficult personal circumstances, particularly after being raped and having her father die by suicide, she wanted something to commemorate her survival. In 2013, she founded the faith-based nonprofit Project Semicolon, which chose a semicolon as a symbol because it’s ‘used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.’”

Project Semicolon is dedicated to the prevention of suicide through raising public awareness of depression and equipping communities and individuals with tools to promote mental health.

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