Shame: A Concealed, Contagious, and Dangerous Emotion 3 Steps to Letting Go of Toxic Shame Brené Brown  has spent her career studying shame and other topics. How much time do you have? Choose one of the videos below to learn more about shame. I've included a short video and a longer one. (4m 25s) If above video doesn't play click here .  (20m 38s) If above video doesn't play click here .

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.   Eleanor Roosevelt Don't allow people to tell you who you are and who you should be.  Don't allow people to tell you what you are suited for and what is above or beneath you.  When you allow people to define you then you have given them permission to control your life.  And generally what happens is when someone else is controlling your life you feel inferior, even if they are telling you how amazing you are.  Because generally they only think you are amazing if you are performing/behaving up to their standards. Once you don't, they don't think you are amazing, they belittle you and push you to be better which leads, oddly enough, to feelings of inferiority.  You have the choice whether or not you will go through life feeling inferior.  If you have given anyone permission to make you feel inferior you also have the choice to deny them access any longer.  The choice is always yours, even wh...

Shame erases hope.   Unknown We are held captive and in an unseen bondage when we allow shame to speak over and into our lives.  Shame is made of a "material" that is hard to break.  And when we apply it to ourselves or to others we are placing a sentence on us or them.  Shame keeps the poverty stricken in poverty, even if their material wealth rebounds.  Shame keeps the abused in victim mode, even if healing has presented itself.  Shame keeps the insecure timid, even if strength has been demonstrated   Shame keeps the young girl with babies from her family, even if they have reached out.  Shame keeps *you* silent, even when it is right that you speak.  Shame keeps *you* believing the lies, even when the truth is so evident.  Hope is the freedom and shame is the bondage.  To choose freedom is to choose hope and we are the only ones who can choose it for ourselves.  Other people may try to hand us hope,...