On March 4’th, 2015 Orange County Pacifica held its second Around the Fountain, a monthly event where an article selected from The Fountain magazine is read and discussed in a friendly, informal setting.This month’s article entitled The Science of Courage, Compassion and Connection written by Kelly Angelone generated a thought-provoking and soul-sharing discussion. The article introduced the reader to the work of Dr. Brene Brown, a professor and an expert in social work, who has done extensive research and written three best sellers on shame, compassion and connections.

The meeting started with a short Skype session where participants where able to ask questions about Dr. Brown’s work to Kelly Angelone, the writer of the article. Afterwards dr. Brown’s Ted Talk The Power of Vulnerability provided more information on the powerful role shame plays in unraveling connections. After watching her talk, participants discussed how shame affected their everyday lives and interactions. Are there different types of shame? What does it mean to embrace vulnerability? What role does faith plays in a person’s concept of self- worth.

Participants coming from different social, cultural and religious background enriched the discussion with interesting ideas. A teacher, a psychologist, a historian and a writer shared their perspectives, pleasantly surprised by how much commonality is shared among different religions and cultures that goes unnoticed. Everyone left the meeting with the satisfaction that comes from sharing helpful, enlightening ideas and with the anticipation to meet again at the next month’s Around The Fountain.