Five Star Friday's 178th Edition Is Brought to You By Brené Brown

This week's Five Star Friday is brought to you by happiness, cancer, telling the truth, kindness, real friendship, sexism, broadening perspectives on motherhood, beauty and gratitude, and Brené Brown:

Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.

     — Brené Brown

Read, enjoy, leave comments, and have a happy Friday!

"Use Your Words" from a little c:

As a cancer survivor, and as someone who has lost people that I love dearly to cancer, as someone who has friends who fought and survived, who are fighting as I type this, I want to make something very clear: You are not honoring anyone with a thoughtless right click and a paste. If you want to honor someone, then use your words. If you’re thinking about someone who’s fighting cancer, then tell them. Sending them an email or send them a card through the mail. Give them a call. Tell them you’re thinking about them and send them your best. As someone who has been there, I can tell you that words mean more when they come directly from you.

"CES Is Killing Sexy" from Mighty Girl

"32 Things I’ve Learned About How to Be Happy" from In Pursuit of Happiness

"Telling Secrets" from Momastery:

I started Momastery a few months later, to tell my truth recklessly to more people. And here, I’ve learned, along with hundreds of other brave women, that the most revolutionary act is telling the truth.

"You Look Really Nice Today" from Zoot

"A Manifesto of Friendship" from Brooke Castillo

"Daughters of Feminists with Sparkly Pink Nails" from Mom-101:

And then I knew that the next time I saw a toddler with her hands in the hands of a professional manicurist, that there might be more to that image than a pampered rich kid whose parents indulge her. When I see a kindergartener running around with rainbows on her nails, maybe the mother needed that to happen for some reason.

And maybe that’s okay.

"The Scars We Live With and Gratitude" by Berry Liberman at Dumbo Feather

Please come back and share good writing with us over the coming week to be featured on the next Five Star Friday. If you have read a really good piece on someone else's weblog, submit it by Thursday at midnight CST to have it featured on Five Star Friday.

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Comments

[Miss Britt]

WOAH. Well that just made my day. :-)

[Wendy]

ooo...thank you so much for linking my post--and, for giving me some new stuff to read this afternoon!!!

[Hannah Joy Curious]

Bookmarked for leisurely reading later, when I have been to the store to get some more coffee!

Brené Brown's TED talk on the power of vulnerability was a huge aha moment for me - suddenly I felt validated rather than an oddball weirdo for choosing to live a heart-led life and owning up to being vulnerable, in writing and in person, because this is part and parcel of being me. If I play a part, how can anyone ever get to know me? If others play a part, how can I ever get to know them?

Life is an experiment in connecting hearts, and connection can only ever happen where there is honesty.

Lastly, thank you Elan for being the internet glue that brings so many of us together!

Happy Friday! :-)

PS/ Brené's talk is here: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

[Mom101]

Thanks so much Elan! And just seeing that photo makes me miss you all a little less this weekend.

[Hannercymraes]

Hi Five Star Friday. I have just nominated your for the Versatile Blogger Award. If you are interested, come on over to my website, and check it out.