This timely and significant new book challenges our preconceived notions about fostering genuine belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture. It comes from the bestselling author of “Rising Strong,” “Daring Greatly,” and “The Gifts of Imperfection,” Dr. Brene Brown, a social scientist. She has ignited a global conversation about the experiences that bring purpose to our lives, including courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame, and empathy.
In “Braving the Wilderness,” Brown redefines the concept of true belonging in an era marked by growing polarization. Employing her signature blend of research, storytelling, and candidness, she once again reshapes our cultural discourse while providing a clear roadmap to authentic belonging.
Brown contends that our current challenges represent a spiritual crisis of disconnection and introduces four practices of genuine belonging that challenge our existing beliefs about ourselves and others. She asserts, “True belonging necessitates a profound belief in and connection to our authentic selves, enabling us to find sanctity both in being part of a community and in standing alone when necessary.” In a culture fraught with perfectionism, people-pleasing, and declining civility, it’s tempting to remain silent, seek refuge in ideological echo chambers, or conform instead of expressing our true selves and confronting the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism.
However, true belonging isn’t a negotiation or achievement with others; it’s a daily commitment demanding integrity and authenticity, carried within our hearts. Brown provides the clarity and courage necessary to rediscover ourselves and reconnect with one another. This journey leads us through the wilderness, a place she describes as “an untamed, unpredictable realm of solitude and exploration. It is as perilous as it is awe-inspiring, as coveted as it is feared. Yet, it is the realm of genuine belonging, the bravest and most sacred ground one can ever stand upon.”
