Being brave isn’t easy. In fact it’s probably the antithesis of easy. Bravery is something that is hard to teach. We associate it with courageous people who do incredible things like soldiers, fireman, police officers, and other people who intentionally put themselves in harms way for the greater good. And while they are tremendously deserving of that praise, there are other forms of bravery, too. Survivors of illness and trauma, and people who do everyday things but face adversity for doing them are also deserving of such courageous honors. You know who you are and you are so amazing. Really being brave is a mindset. It’s a way of thinking and living. But you have to actually do the second part. You have to LIVE in order to really be brave! 
    I was talking to my dear friend (who I affectionately call “Nashville Nick” because we met in Tennessee) the other night. We were discussing how he was trying to help a good friend of his move past some personal challenges in order to go forward in life. We were discussing how although I’ve had my crosses to bear, I have found that it’s important to put those struggles on the shelf after a certain amount of time and just try to move ahead and continue on with life. Whether that means traveling somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, or taking a chance and dating someone new, or moving to a new place with new opportunities, it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to continue to be brave in your intention and not miss out on life’s chances. It really is too short. Fear can and will hold you back if you let it and sometimes the best thing you can do is face things head on and say, “No more. Today I’m taking back my life and going to live it to the fullest.” 

    “Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live. Maybe one of these days you can let the light in…SHOW ME HOW BIG YOUR BRAVE IS!!” Sara Bareilles and Jack Antonoff perfectly wrote a civil rights anthem about the challenge to be courageous and speak your truth in the song “Brave”. It’s something I think we all struggle with. I know I certainly have my days where I need to have a pity party and not see a lot of people or do a lot of extra things. But then I remind myself of this beautiful life I have and the 2nd, 3rd, 9th & 10th chances I’ve been given to live it and I try and take the opportunity to do something great. 

   The past two days, I have gone and jumped in the river down the street from my house because it’s been so beautiful out and even though the water has been a little cold, it’s refreshing and makes me feel so alive. I’m trying to find things to do that remind me of how far I’ve come from 5 and even 10 years ago. It’s not hard, but when I do, boy is it validating and encouraging. Sometimes just putting that bathing suit on and saying, “yep, I’m gonna do this!! I’m going to swim as far out as I can and let the sun beat down on me and then when I come back in, I’m going to know that I did something brave today.” Maybe that’s not very big to some people, but compared to the girl who was hooked up to a respirator fighting for her life in an ICU almost 5 years ago, it feels pretty damn GOOD. 

#getyourbraveon