Bravery...not just for “other people”
Bravery is known in the dictionary as “the quality or state of having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty”
When I think of bravery, I think it means different things to different people but one thing I know for sure is; bravery is a choice.
For some being brave is asking for help or forgiving someone. To others it's leaving a job that isn’t fulfilling, telling someone you love them or taking responsibility for one's behavior. It's having difficult conversations that feel uncomfortable.
I was recently asked to speak at an upcoming conference on bravery. I initially questioned the value I could add to this event, but then realized how much bravery is required to be a leader….
Being brave for me has happened over time. I would not have told you I was very brave until I started my business. For much of my life I’ve felt scared of other people’s opinions and unsure of myself. I was afraid to fail, especially in front of other people. I practice bravery now and I'm not gonna lie, it's hard.
These days my bravery looks a bit different, it looks like:
Sending a proposal to speak to a group of people I feel intimidated by
It's asking for feedback on my business and accepting it with an open heart
It's putting my ego aside and accepting criticism, putting down that “body armor” we all carry as self-protection (As per Brene Brown)
It's having high courage conversations with my team about hard topics
It's continuing to work day after day, night after night, when things get really hard with this business.
It looks like never giving up on my dreams to redefine mental health treatment in Saint John
As far as this topic relates to many of you...Maybe you are afraid to try new things or make important decisions in your life….
You think about things you want but you don’t take action. The truth is you get answers by doing, you figure out your path by trying something, anything. Answers are what you gain from pushing through and figuring it out.
Maybe this is what holds you back, you imagine the worst-case scenario and you listen to that inner voice that tells you all kinds of excuses that are not true or not for certain. You let fear hold you back from even trying something in a different direction.
Failure is not the worst thing in the world. No one creates or becomes something amazing without some story of failure, significant risk or requiring courage.
Being brave is choosing to base your decisions on logic, not emotion. It’s going outside of what feels comfortable to you. Hard and scary often has MAJOR pay offs. You won’t die, in fact you'll thank yourself later.
In what ways can you be a little bit more brave in your life?
~ Laura
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