Shame affects all of us–even if we don’t know how to name it. It often drapes us in a vague feeling of being covered in a wet blanket. It speaks, “I am worth less. I must hide. There is something wrong with me.”

How can we address it neurologically, spiritually, and practically? We brought in the big guns to answer all three shame categories today: Dr. Curt Thompson, MD, author of one of our favorite books, The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves. 

This and next week’s conversation are not ones to miss. They impacted us all deeply.

Highlights:
“The gospel–if it is good news–does not begin with ‘I am more sinful than I believe.’ It begins, in fact, with ‘I am more loved than I can imagine.’ It is in that space of being loved incessantly, relentlessly, that we become aware just how sinful we are.” –Dr. Curt Thompson, M.D.

“It is not difficult for us to register [shame] in catastrophic events (bullying, sexual and physical abuse, or some kind of public humiliation). The thing is, as far as our real life is concerned, the vast majority of how these [shame] events actually occur is in the privacy of our own minds. It is the dozens of times when we say to ourselves ‘I should have done this. I should have done that. I’m not good enough at this. I’m not good enough at that.’ . . . It’s these micro-moments that turn into a death of a thousand cuts.” –Dr. Curt Thompson, M.D.

Do the Next Thing:
Read Curt’s book here.
Check out his organization here.
Comment below to let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode!