Summary

After doing her research Brown has learned that authenticity is something must practice, not something one inherently has or doesn’t have. Authenticity is a collection of choices: to “show up and be real […] to be honest […] to let our true selves be seen” (49). Brown acknowledges that authenticity is difficult to practice, particularly in a culture that wants us to “fit in” and “people please” (50). Brown defines authenticity as cultivating the courage to set boundaries, be imperfect and be vulnerable; exercising the compassion that comes “from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle”; and nurturing “the connection and sense of belonging that can only happen when we believe we are enough” (51). Authenticity also demands Wholehearted living and loving, and is a way of inviting “grace, joy, and gratitude into our lives” (50).

Choosing to be true to ourselves can be...