Popular Quotes from Tony Mayo's Book on Community

I just noticed an interesting feature of the Amazon Kindle software. It can display passages most often highlighted by other Kindle users. Here are some quotes favored by readers of my first book.

Our desire to belong is a life and death concern. It’s not a weakness or personal failure.

I realized that everything I wanted in life required the actions of other people.

Shame is being pushed out, excluded, and rejected by others. Avoiding shame is a universal human priority. It always has been.

Shame is so frightening, belonging so vital, it seems that we are continually confronted with this dichotomy of choice. We must either risk being emotionally vulnerable and open to attack and rejection, or we cover up, we fake, we pretend, we stifle ourselves.

We go along to get along.

Vulnerability is choosing my actions with the knowledge that other people participate in my life.

You can’t hide when you need other people. Pulling away from pain or risk, or responsibility, just leaves us alone and incomplete; fitting in but missing out.

"Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance." (quoting Brené Brown)

Courage is being true to your heart, your core. Bravery is a cover-up, hiding your true self so that people might respond to the way you’d like to have them think you are.

Scientific evidence and personal experience tell us that sincere, engaging personal relationships are essential for health and happiness. Yet, little is said about how we might actively nurture such relationships for ourselves and for people near us at home and work.

This short book offers specific advice and motivation to open up, reach out, and connect with all of our community members.

Original post can be found here.