Vulnerability Can Be Motivating!

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.”

Brene Brown

A team of us are working on a new project that we hope will be one small step for progress in the world of treatment for mental health and use disorders. We have no clue if it is a good idea or a bad one. In our efforts to develop a plan, I have spent hours and hours asking for advice, feedback and input. I’m lucky in that I know a ton of subject matter experts.

I have not come to folks with a powerpoint presentation filled to the brim with all my awesome ideas - cause, well, the list isn’t that impressive. What I have said is that I want to do more for more people, and then I’ve asked, “What do you think we should try?”

Here is what I’ve observed. It requires a good bit of vulnerability to keep telling every single person who will listen that I have a dream but am uncertain about its viability. But it’s true.

Here is how it has worked. For the most part, we have received encouragement, fantastic ideas, and plenty of sincere offers to help. The ideas are concrete, experience-driven, and consistent. Every single conversation inspires me to want to work harder. We’ve changed so much along the way - in fact, left to our own devices, our finished project would look nothing like the plan that is gradually emerging out of the chaos of a big dream and a lot of trepidation.

What works for you? When you face an opportunity to take a risk for a good cause, what do you need to keep marching forward?

Tomorrow, I want to talk about what has not worked quite as well.