Be Brave

He pondered this for a long while—so long that I started to think he was napping. And then he said, “yes. I’m definitely more brave.” We unpacked this for a little bit and talked about not just the physical aspects of the illness but the mental work being done as he heals body and mind. He’s reframing his definition of friendship. He’s learning to say “no” to things that do not matter to him. He’s speaking up for himself in situations where previously he wouldn’t for fear of what others might think. He told me the biggest change is that he only wants to deal in truth—even if it’s ugly, scary or painful.

I admire his deep thinking and also his identification of finding his voice—his truth. To be brave is to step out into true ourselves. It sounds easy. It’s not. There can be a lot of fear associated with being fully ourselves—fear of rejection from others; fear of success or failure; fear of making waves and creating unintended consequences; fear of change. I see this play out in the lives of my friends, family and our clients all the time. Being brave requires significant inner strength. We must override our brain which tells us to play it safe—the devil we know is better than the devil we don’t. It’s committing to do that thing you know you need to do, taking a deep breath and doing it.

This week, strive to BE BRAVE. Have brave conversations with your loved ones. Be brave about taking care of yourself. And ENJOY the feeling of living in your truth.