49 Best Brené Brown Gifts of Imperfection Quotes
Brené Brown stands as a beacon of authenticity, reminding us that our imperfections are not flaws to be hidden but gifts to be celebrated. In her transformative book, “The Gifts of Imperfection,” Brown offers a profound exploration of what it means to live a wholehearted life, embracing your true self with courage and compassion. Within its pages, she unveils the wisdom that you are worthy of love and shares inspirational quotes that resonate deeply with readers around the globe.
As we journey through the book, we discover that the discomfort of vulnerability is not a weakness but a gateway to connection, creativity, and resilience. Each sentence, or paragraph of her book, helps us embrace the messy, beautiful reality of our lives. Join us as we embark on a profound exploration of Brené Brown’s best quotes from “The Gifts of Imperfection,” each one a testament to the power of letting go of you who you think you’re supposed to be and embracing the authentic you with your whole heart.
Key Takeaways
- Brené Brown’s timeless wisdom in “The Gifts of Imperfection” will help you embrace vulnerability and be moved, inspired, and empowered to cultivate a life rich in authenticity, connection, and joy.
- Brown’s books, podcasts, and Ted Talk are highly motivational, especially for anyone who struggles with self-confidence, perfectionism, or self-compassion.
- In order to live a happier, healthier life with reduced anxiety, the first step is to allow yourself to feel worthy and live with an open heart.
Who Is Brené Brown?
On her website, Brené Brown writes, “I’m a researcher, storyteller, and (currently enraged) Texan who’s spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy.” She is also a research professor at the University of Houston and a visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.
Brown has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She developed the Shame Resilience Theory that involves connecting with your authentic self and fostering meaningful relationships with others. The theory encompasses moving away from shame and moving toward empathy.
In addition to “The Gifts of Imperfection,” Brown has written seven other best seller books, including “Braving the Wilderness” and “Atlas of the Heart.” All of her books have a focus on the way we live, love, parent, and lead.
On almost every page of “The Gifts of Imperfection” you can find a highly quotable sentence or paragraph with a deep, reflective meaning. She takes the reader on a journey of self-exploration that focuses on their imperfections. She helps readers break down their greatest barriers to realize the power of vulnerability and true belonging.
Brown also has an award winning Ted Talk, The Power of Vulnerability, and two podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. You can find these on your favorite podcast channels.
My Top 10 Favorite Brené Brown Gifts of Imperfection Quotes
These are my 10 top favorite Brené Brown quotes from the book. Admittedly, the book can be challenging to read because it’s deeply reflective and gives you a real sense of perspective about life, love, and everything important. But I promise you will finish with a lot to think about. Reading it will be the best thing you can do for yourself in this crazy, mixed-up world.
1. “Wholehearted living is about engaging with our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, ‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.”
2. “Loving and accepting ourselves are the ultimate acts of courage.”
3. “Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.”
4. “We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.”
5. “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
6. “Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.”
7. “Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”
8. “Speaking honestly and openly about who we are, about what we’re feeling, and about our experiences, (good or bad) is the definition of courage.”
9. “We are wired for connection to thrive emotionally, physically, spiritually, and intellectually.”
10. A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to.
The Gifts of Imperfection Quotes about Perfectionism
11. “Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.”
12. “So many of us run around spackling all of the cracks, trying to make everything look just right…remember the beauty of the cracks…our imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together. Imperfectly, but together.”
13. “Healthy striving is self-focused: “How can I improve?” Perfectionism is other-focused: “What will they think?”
14. “Perfectionism is self-destructive simply because there’s no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal.”
15. “Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.”
16. “All perfectionism is, is the twenty-ton shield that we carry around hoping that it will keep us from being hurt,”
The Gifts of Imperfection Quotes about Connection
17. “We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection.”
18. “The willingness to tell our stories, feel the pain of others, and stay genuinely connected in this disconnected world is not something we can do halfheartedly.”
19. “Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.”
20. “In our technology-crazed world, we’ve confused being communicative with feeling connected. Just because we’re plugged in, doesn’t mean we feel seen and heard.”
31. “Love and belonging are irreducible need of all women, men, and children. In the absence of love and belonging, there is always suffering.”
22. “Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion.”
Quotes about Shame from The Gifts of Imperfection
23. “Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.”
24. “Shame works like the zoom lens on a camera. When we are feeling shame, the camera is zoomed in tight and all we see is our flawed selves, alone and struggling.”
25. “Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story. It hates having words wrapped around it- it can’t survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes.”
26. “If we share our shame story with the wrong person, they can easily become one more piece of flying debris in an already dangerous storm.”
Worthiness Quotes from The Gifts of Imperfection
27. “Here’s what is truly at the heart of wholeheartedness: Worthy now. Not if, not when, we’re worthy of love and belonging now. Right this minute. As is.”
28. “If we can’t stand up to the ‘never good enough’ and ‘who do you think you are?’ we can’t move forward.”
29. “Somehow we’ve come to equate success with not needing anyone. Many of us are willing to extend a helping hand, but we’re very reluctant to reach out for help when we need it ourselves.”
30. “Worthiness doesn’t have prerequisites.”
31. “Sometimes the most dangerous thing for kids is the silence that allows them to construct their own stories — stories that almost always cast them as alone and unworthy of love and belonging.”
More Inspirational Quotes from The Gifts of Imperfection
32. “The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.”
33. “Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.”
34. “Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.”
35. “We’re a nation hungry for more joy: Because we’re starving from a lack of gratitude.”
36. “Courage is like—it’s a habitus, a habit, a virtue: You get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging.”
37. “We cannot ignore our pain and feel compassion for it at the same time.”
38. “Hope is not an emotion; it’s a way of thinking or a cognitive process.”
39. “Courage has a ripple effect. Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver. And our world could stand to be a little kinder and braver.”
40. “Cruelty is easy, cheap and rampant.”
41. “Asking for what you need is one of the bravest things you’ll ever do.”
42. “We can confront someone about their behavior, or fire someone, or fail a student, or discipline a child without berating them or putting them down. The key is to separate people from their behaviors – to address what they are doing, not who they are.”
43. “Life paralysis refers to all of the opportunities we miss because we’re too afraid to put anything out in the world that could be imperfect. It’s also all of the dreams that we don’t follow because of our deep fear of failing, making mistakes, and disappointing others.”
44. “To love someone fiercely, to believe in something with your whole heart, to celebrate a fleeting moment in time, to fully engage in a life that doesn’t come with guarantees – these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain. But, I’m learning that recognizing and leaning into the discomfort of vulnerability teaches us how to live with joy, gratitude, and grace.”
45. “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.”
46. “Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives.”
47. “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
48. “Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.”
49. “The heart of compassion is really acceptance. The better we are at accepting ourselves and others, the more compassionate we become.”
Final Thoughts: Brené Brown Gifts of Imperfection Quotes
In “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brené Brown, she shares inspiring quotes that teach you valuable lessons about being true to yourself. These quotes remind you that it’s okay to be imperfect and that your flaws are what make you unique and special.
Brown encourages you to embrace vulnerability, courage, and authenticity. Through her words, you learn that it’s important to let go of the need to be perfect and instead focus on being genuine and wholehearted. Your inner strength and sense of purpose is the greatest measure of courage.
Use her words of wisdom to become the best version of yourself!
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Love to ALL! ~ Susan
