Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
It is Girl Scout cookie time. Time to spend $5.00 for a small box of cookies. Time to eat a whole box of cookies now before someone else gets them. Time to consume more calories in 15 minutes than most people in this world eat in a day. Time to frantically find a cookie stand before everyone in your house realizes you ate the last (10) Tagalongs. Time to keep the peace by buying more boxes than you need so that no one gets angry because all the cookies are gone. I have a hard enough time resisting sweets, but Girl Scout cookies are like the most addictive drug for me. I cannot stop with one, unless it is one whole box. Even then, it is hard. I hide them in the garage freezer, write other people’s names on them, resolve only to eat one serving (2 measly cookies), but they call to me louder than the most provocative mermaid on a reef in the middle of the ocean. Must have Girl Scout cookies. Part of their allure are the things, I most complain about: the short time span that they are available and the small size of the boxes. Like the Krispy Kreme sign that flashes “Hot Donuts Now” that warns they will soon be gone. Donuts…now there’s another craving coming on. I’ve been thinking about Girl Scout cookies as I read a book called, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead by Brene Brown. Brown’s basic premise is that much of our difficulties as individuals, as groups and as a country stem from our culture’s belief that we can never have or be enough. We compare ourselves to others and see their possessions, their status, their confidence and we find ourselves lacking. No matter that what we are comparing ourselves to is likely fiction, we feel an emptiness despite having our own hands already full. We feel ashamed of our lack, constantly measuring ourselves by someone else’s standards, afraid to engage with others, try new risks or new things for fear of failure. She continues that the opposite of scarcity is enough or what she identifies as Wholeheartedness, being vulnerable and recognizing our worth to know that we are enough. Wholeheartedness allows us to face uncertainty, exposure and take emotional risks. The book also defines vulnerability and states that being willing to be open and honest about ourselves with others can impact every area of our lives. In an age when it is considered wrong to be different and going against the grain brings ridicule and ostracism even from those who profess lo love us the most, vulnerability is often defined as being weak. In actuality, being vulnerable is a sign of confidence and bravery. Being weak is eating a whole box of Girl Scout cookies so no one else can have them. Being vulnerable means confessing that desire and asking for help in managing it.
Leave a Reply