Brené Brown is a famous author, speaker, and research professor at the University of Houston. She came to national prominence when she delivered a TED talk on vulnerability that’s been viewed almost 60 million times.
She is a gifted author and many of these positive, inspirational quotes are from one of her many books, including Daring Greatly, Atlas of the Heart, The Gifts of Imperfection, The Power of Vulnerability, and Dare to Lead.
She researches shame, vulnerability, courage, and leadership. She’s appeared on Oprah’s podcast Supersoul Sunday, has a Netflix special called The Call to Courage (it’s very moving!), and an HBO Max series called Atlas of the Heart.
We’ve gathered our favorite inspirational quotes from Brené Brown on courage, leadership, showing up authentically, whole heart living, and bravery.
Inspirational Quotes from Brené
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”
“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage, or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.”
“I now see that owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
“Worthiness doesn’t have prerequisites.”
“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
“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.”
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.
“Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.”
“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.”
“What’s the greater risk? Letting go of what people think – or letting go of how I feel, what I believe, and who I am?”
Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.
“True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”
“Nothing has transformed my life more than realizing that it’s a waste of time to evaluate my worthiness by weighing the reaction of the people in the stands.”
“Act II: The middle space. The part of the story where the main character is lost and struggling. S/he tries to find the way forward by taking every path except the one that requires vulnerability. The struggle continues until s/he finally realizes that the only way home is through uncertainty and total vulnerability. Into the dark. I hate Act II. I love Act II. The middle is messy. But it’s where the magic happens. We live in the rumble.”
“A crisis highlights all of our fault lines. We can pretend that we have nothing to learn, or we can take this opportunity to own the truth and make a better future for ourselves and others.”
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.
“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.”
“Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission. Stop scouring people’s faces for evidence that you’re not enough. You will always find it because you’ve made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don’t negotiate their value with the world. The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.”
“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness—it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.”
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; it’s choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”
“I now see that owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
“We are complex beings who wake up every day and fight against being labeled and diminished with stereotypes and characterizations that don’t reflect our fullness. Yet when we don’t risk standing on our own and speaking out, when the options laid before us force us into the very categories we resist, we perpetuate our own disconnection and loneliness. When we are willing to risk venturing into the wilderness, and even becoming our own wilderness, we feel the deepest connection to our true self and to what matters the most.”
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.”
“Numb the dark, and you numb the light.”
“Midlife: when the Universe grabs your shoulders and tells you “I’m not f-ing around, use the gifts you were given.”
“Courage is not staying quiet about things that make us uncomfortable.”
“Daring leaders work to make sure people can be themselves and feel a sense of belonging.”
“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 to courage by couraging.”
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”
“Our ability to be daring leaders will never be greater than our capacity for vulnerability.”
“To see and to be seen. That is the truest nature of love.”
Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.
“Self-kindness is self-empathy.”
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.”
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”
My inability to lean into the discomfort of vulnerability limited the fullness of those important experiences that are wrought with uncertainty: Love, belonging, trust, joy, and creativity to name a few. Learning how to be vulnerable has been a street fight for me, but it’s been worth it.
“Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.”
“Courage gives us a voice and compassion gives us an ear. Without both, there is no opportunity for empathy and connection.”
“When I see people stand fully in their truth, or when I see someone fall down, get back up, and say, ‘Damn. That really hurt, but this is important to me and I’m going in again’—my gut reaction is, ‘What a badass.’”
One of the greatest barriers to connection is the cultural importance we place on “going it alone.” 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. It’s as if we’ve divided the world into “those who offer help” and “those who need help.” The truth is that we are both.
“What we know matters but who we are matters more.”
“The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity.”
“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. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives.”
“The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.”
“Want to be happy? Stop trying to be perfect.”
“Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer.”
“The universe is not short on wake-up calls. We’re just quick to hit the snooze button.”
“Courage is contagious. A critical mass of brave leaders is the foundation of an intentionally courageous culture. Every time we are brave with our lives, we make the people around us a little braver and our organizations bolder and stronger.”
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.
Want More Inspiration?
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What are your favorite inspirational Brene Brown quotes?