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Is Ordinary Courage the same as the I Thought It Was Just Me (ITIWJM) Read-Along that used to be on Brené’s website?
There will be some overlap on two of the creativity exercises, but all of the audios and journaling exercises are new. The Read-Along was developed before Brené completed the new research on Wholeheartedness, so the course integrates new information.
Is the Ordinary Courage eCourse based on your Connections Curriculum?
No. Connections is a psycho-educational curriculum that Brené developed for use by mental health and addiction professionals. This class won’t be facilitated like group therapy. If you are interested in doing psychotherapeutic work around shame resilience, this is NOT a substitute. If you’re interested in learning more about shame and how it plays out in our lives, this is a great place to start.
Are there specific meeting times for the eCourse? No. Everything during the six weeks is self-paced. There won’t be any set “meeting times.” We will have activities scheduled on specific days, but there won’t be any times when you need to be online to participate in a class or event. It’s total flexibility!
What do you think about doing this eCourse with a friend or a group of friends?
This course is really about learning how to cultivate shame resilience and one of the most important things to know about shame is that it happens between people and it heals between people. We encourage you to sign up with a friend, a partner, a group of friends, or even a book club. If you’re taking the course alone, we encourage you to participate in our online community.
I took the Dream Lab Gifts of Imperfection course. Will Ordinary Courage be different? Our class format will be similar, but the content is completely new and focuses on the four elements of shame resilience. The Dream Lab Gifts of Imperfection course was actually our inspiration for this class. So many participants wrote us letters asking for more information on shame resilience that we decided to develop this course.
Do I have to buy both books and the DVD? ITIWJM and the DVD are required, and The Gifts of Imperfection is recommended reading. We will be referencing chapters and passages in both books, but the main text is ITIWJM. We are going to have a couple of exercises related to the DVD. If you are doing the class with a friend or group, you could order one DVD and share it or watch it together.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING: Online retailers can get the books to you within one or two days, but the DVD will take 3-5 business days in the US and up to 10 business days for international orders. We are going to talk about the DVD the week of 4/25, so you will want to order the DVD ASAP. The DVD normally sells for $24.99 + $5 shipping. eCourse students will pay $14.99 for the DVD + $5 shipping.
Is the Ordinary Courage eCourse for women and men?
Yes, that’s one of the reasons that we are requiring the DVD. Brené started interviewing men right after she turned in ITIWJM (it was published a year later). Shame Resilience Theory – her theory on how shame works and how we learn to move through it – is the same for men and women, but the examples in ITIWJM are all from her interviews with women. The DVD talks about shame resilience for both men and women. We both passionately believe that we have to understand shame and how it works for both men and women if we want to change the way we live, love, work, parent, and build relationships.