I’ve been listening to Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead audiobook and she often uses anecdotes as supplement to the topics. This is my third round listening to it and I’m learning some new areas of courage and vulnerability that I must inevitably work on – personally and professionally. What I often have to admit to myself is I’m worried about failure or what’s around the corner when venturing into these “caves.” The caves make you face yourself in the most honest light. You’re going to see the cracks, the jagged edges, and the things that we’ve wanted to hide. Upon entering, you will see who you can become and the missing pieces for this fragment of your journey. As I enter the caves of my journey, it’s not going to be an easy venture to retrieve the new skill. It reminds me when Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter went to retrieve a horcrux (or a treasure) from a literal cave. They could only take it from the basin once Dumbledore had drank all of the liquid in which it lied, which caused him to experience emotional and mental pain. Sometimes our own journeys are similar – we have to get through the obstacles of the “caves,” and understand the fear before we can accomplish the tasks before us. Once we set the fear aside, we are able to gain knowledge and intuition to steer our course through the cave. Trust your gut, understand the fear, and enter the cave.

Kristen Ellis

Kristen has worked in the mental health field since 2013, with a focus on crisis work, substance use services, and bringing a voice to lived experience. Her ambition is to change the way mental health care and recovery is seen and achieved, so to redefine what it means to defeat adversity. She is a storyteller and the editor of HopeInc.com.