According to Merriam-Webster, Bravery is the quality or state of having or showing mental or
moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty. I often wonder what does "to be brave", mean exactly? Do I have to jump from an airplane, run into a burning building, or come down a hill on my bike at 80km an hour feeling exhilaration instead of terror? Can being brave also mean doing something that is different, new, uncomfortable, scary, and still doing it anyway?
Yesterday, while riding my bike indoors, I put on what I thought was a fun, non thinking movie, Chick Fight with Malin Akerman and Alec Baldwin. To my surprise I ended up taking away a strong message from that movie. At one point, Alec spoke this quote to Malin, who was afraid to take the final leap toward something she'd been working so hard to achieve, he said " THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATES FEAR FROM BRAVERY IS ONE SMALL STEP".
Being brave does not mean doing without fear, it's doing inspite of the fear. It's standing on the edge of decision and instead of backing away or stepping down, you step forward, even if you fail the first time, or first ten times, you are being brave just by taking that step.
Everyone will have a different variation of what Brave is for them and that definition will most likely evolve over time. For me currently, brave is when you move away from something toxic and comfortable and step towards uncertainty and discomfort, you are brave when you step towards doing something you aren't sure you believe yourself to be able to do, and you are brave when you seek and accept help when you need it.
Being brave is hard. But being brave can also lead you a step closer to great reward. Bravery shows in many fashions; find a way to start being brave for yourself. Maybe you need to start with something small before taking on a big challenge. Practice your bravery, take a step toward signing up for your first race, step out the door for that daily walk when you don't want to, step toward healthy choices.
Be brave for you.
