Essay Example on Embracing Vulnerability: The Power of Wholehearted Living

Introduction

The speaker of this ted talk video discussed what she learned in her research into vulnerability, shame, connection, and the meaning of being a "wholehearted" person. This way, the main points of Brown's presentation are about the characteristics of wholehearted individuals and how they embrace vulnerability. Other key ideas are what it underpins shame, aspects that worthy people have in common, and their understanding of connections.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The speaker noted two things when she asked people about what they know about connections. First, she found that their subject of discussion would be about heartbreak whenever one asks them about love and, secondly, they would narrate the most painful experiences about exclusion when someone asks them about belonging. To these people, however, a connection can only happen by allowing themselves to be seen. Brown (2010) also explained that individuals that have a strong sense of love are more likely to think that they are worthy.

Brown said the belief of being worthy is what distinguishes people that have a sense of love from those that do not have it. Again, people's fear that they are not worthy of love keeps them out of connections. Another point in the speaker's presentation is the idea that "wholehearted" people are the ones that live with a deep sense of worth. Such individuals have courage, connection, compassion, and, more importantly, embrace vulnerability (Brown, 2010).

How I Will Apply Brown's Information

The ideas of the speaker are of great importance to my career as a social worker. I have learned three lessons from this ted talk that I will apply in my profession. First, people should not hide their emotions, as keeping them causes continuous stress and pain. I will use this idea during counseling sessions by investigating how my clients are thinking and feeling in a given moment. Doing so is in line with Brown's idea that we should learn to explore our emotions and become self-aware to avert stress and pain. Also, I will encourage my clients that have depressive symptoms to find methods that work best for them in reducing negative feelings. This aspect will not only enable them to address their emotions but also become self-aware. In doing so, my clients will overcome the effects of keeping bad emotions.

Secondly, I have understood that people should dare to be themselves at whatever the cost. I will apply this idea in offering counseling services to my clients by explaining to them that the forces of insecurity, doubt, and fear will never vanish no matter how hard they attempt to bury them and hide from them. Instead, they need to face these issues with confidence and courage in their authentic self. As a way to motivate clients facing social issues, I will apply the speaker's idea by explaining to them that they have a gift necessary to overcome their problems.

Thirdly, I will apply Brown's idea that vulnerability takes courage to help my clients live a happier and fulfilling life. The speaker, in this regard, explained that vulnerability is anything but weakness. I will demonstrate to my clients that they can come directly in touch with their most authentic selves by having the courage to be vulnerable and being true to themselves.

What I find Interesting About Brene Brown

The most exciting thing about the speaker is that he used real-world examples to support her points. To me, this approach makes the ideas of Brown interesting and understandable.

What I Would Ask Brene Brown

If I had an opportunity to talk with the speaker, I would ask her to give another ted talk that expounds her statement that people should seek excellence, not perfection. This idea is essential since more people in the contemporary world focus more on perfection than excellence.

Why I Would Recommend Brene Brown

After analyzing the video, I have noted that it has essential lessons, and other people should watch it. I recommend Brown to other students because he used evidence from research to support her assertions about vulnerability and what it means to be a wholehearted person.

Ted Talk 2: Ernesto Sirolli: "Want to Help Someone? Shut Up and Listen!" September 2012 (Word count: 779).

The Main Points of Sirolli's Presentation

Ernesto Sirolli talked about implementing sustainable economic development projects that can alleviate poverty in African countries. The speaker used lessons he learned while undertaking an agricultural aid project in Zambia to illustrate his concepts. The main point of Sirolli's presentation is that the key to helping communities is to become a servant of their local passion. In this regard, anyone who intends to support the needy should do so to people who have a dream to become better people. Also, one should not arrive in a community with his/her views on how to support the local people.

In listening to the needs of the community, however, donors should not engage with them in offices but rather in places like pubs and cafes where they would feel comfortable. And in doing so, donors ought to determine what the local people want to do. After determining their passion, support groups should help local communities find the knowledge that enables them to fulfill their dreams. In doing so, nonetheless, it is essential to interact with individuals one-on-one rather than in community meetings (Sirolli, 2012).

How I Will Apply Sirolli's Information

I will use information in the presentation to implement empowerment-based social work practices. Examples are programs that make people feel they can control their destiny without relying on help from various support groups. In this view, I will put the speaker's information into practice by spearheading the implementation of empowerment social work practices that recognize that local communities have capabilities to deal with their challenges constructively.

As a social worker, I also will advocate for social policies and support interventions where disadvantaged groups within the local communities can influence the course of their lives. In doing so, local communities would attain their goals by moving from the state of helplessness to a situation where they have greater control over their lives.

Additionally, I will apply the idea of empowerment-based interventions to help clients struggling with social problems such as drug abuse, crime, and violence. Importantly, here is that self-empowerment practices will enable individuals to maintain a sense of control by learning to manage emotions. Besides, they will be in a better position to develop interpersonal skills like the ability to manage anger, express feelings and thoughts more clearly, and even negotiate for themselves. The empowerment process may be at a community, intrapersonal, and interpersonal level to enable people to resolve different social problems.

On the individual level, I will apply the information to improve individuals' sense of esteem, their sense of being able to act, and also increase the ability to make independent decisions. On the intrapersonal level, I would focus on empowerment from the perspective of acquiring skills, knowledge, and coping tools like negotiation, cooperation, and independent action. These elements are necessary for growth in an individual's social arena. In this ted talk also, the speaker extensively talked about the essence of the tenet of helping other people respectfully. I will put this idea into practice in my profession by implementing social work practices that are in line with the wishes and expectations of the local communities.

What I find Interesting About Ernesto Sirolli

Sirolli exudes confidence throughout his presentation even though he is addressing a sensitive issue. This aspect makes the speaker look knowledgeable, confident, intelligent, and accurate. Also, Sirolli is engaging because he has a passion for helping vulnerable individuals, families, and communities to overcome their social problems. By illustrating how he committed himself to help the needy people in Zambia, Sirolli shows the passion for the subject.

What I Would Ask Ernesto Sirolli

I would ask the speaker to explain why he thinks it is not right to help people who have no dream of improving their lives. Sirolli (2012) said in the ted talk that whoever wants to help individuals in a given community should focus on people who dream of becoming better people in their societies. In this view, I would ask him whether using this idea as the basis of helping needy people would not lead to inequality and discrimination within a society.

Why I Would Not Recommend Ernesto Sirolli

I would not recommend the speaker to other students, even though the presentation is informative. The reason is that the speaker's ideas may have a negative influence on individuals that intends to extend a helping hand to vulnerable communities. Specifically, the idea that aid projects and other types of help from donors should only go to individuals that aspire to improve their standards of living would have an undesirable influence on future social workers.

Ted Talk 3: Daniel Pallotta: "The Way We Talk About Charity is Dead Wrong." March 2013 (Word count: 599).

The Main Points of Pallotta's Presentation

The speaker analyzes the attitudes of the donating public towards charities. Brown identified five factors that disadvantage charitable organizations compared with for-profit companies. First, donors do not want charity entities to spend their resources on marketing, yet these function help nonprofits to generate more revenue for their beneficiaries. Pallotta said donors want nonprofit entities to spend their money on helping the needy directly rather than on overheads. Secondly, educated people who ought to make a difference in charity organizations opt to work in for-profit enterprises that pay more money. As an example, the speaker said that a manager working in a hunger charity would earn about $84,000 per annum compared to a Master's degree graduate from Stanford that gets more than $400,000 (Pallotta, 2013).

Thirdly, charities are afraid of risk and would not attempt a new approach to fundraising since they think it may damage their reputation. This situation stifles innovation in nonprofit organizations. Fourthly, donors may not support charities that invest in long-term projects because they believe such plans would disadvantage the needy people. Lastly, charities cannot attract capital investments by promising investors future profits.

How I will Apply the Information

As a professional social worker, I will use this information to change the negative perception that the donating public has towards charity organizations. I will enlighten them that not-for-profits also have overheads and that charities cannot channel all their donations to helping the needy. Also, I will apply Pallotta's knowledge about risk in pursuit of revenue to plan innovative fundraising campaigns that would generate more revenue.

What I Find Interesting About Daniel Pallotta

Pallotta used evidence to support his argument and also guide the public on what they should do to improve the nonprofit sector. As an example, the speaker tells the audience that the proportion of people's wages that goes to charity has remained at 2% for the last four decades (Pallotta, 2013). This strategy is the best way to tell the donating public that it is necessary to allow charities to do marketing and advertising to enable them to expand their market. Besides, the speaker compares the compensation of executives in business and nonprofit sectors to demonstrate how the donating public is against proper payment of managers in charities...