We vicariously live brave by watching the smart, fabulous and rich live big, exciting lives. We secretly wish we could quit our jobs and start a fun, fulfilling career. We dream about traveling the world and going on the adventure of a lifetime. We wish we could do what other people do. We daydream about the moment we muster up enough courage to leave that relationship that’s sucking the life out of us. We journal about all the things we want to do, how we want to be and or how we want to live our lives. Finally, we wonder “when will I ever be brave enough to just do it.”
What if you were brave? What if you got up from the pity pot and started living a big exciting life. What if you were fearless enough to leave that job you hate and start a career you love? What if you started traveling the world without fear of what others would think? What if you decided to leave, let go, get out, move on, and or take the leap of faith into the unknown? What is keeping you from doing it all? I bet what keeps you wondering, dreaming, wishing and waiting is some form of fear. Now you may not think it’s fear so let me tell you how fear shows up in sneaky ways.
- Fear shows up as procrastination; you put things off because you don’t want to face the potential outcome. Fear shows up as worry; you spend a lot of mental energy on “what if” and are tied to a fearful result.
- Fear shows up as jealousy; you worry that you won’t have what others have.
- Fear shows up as anxiety; you give more mental energy to the future instead of enjoying today.
- Fear shows up as apathy; you don’t care, you don’t try because you are afraid to fail.
- Fear shows up as complacency; you settle because you are afraid to get out of your comfort zone and take risks.
- Fear shows up as isolation; you fear what people will think of you and worry about being rejected.
- Fear shows up in execuses: you create reasons to not do something and thus stay safe.
This list could go on and on but I am sure you can see how sneaky fear is and how it manifests in your life even when you don’t think you are afraid. We all have fears and fear will always be a part of our lives. We also can choose to live in fear or be brave. To brave means to do what you want, say what you want, live how you want to live and be who you want to be despite your fears. To be brave means you take steps in the dark not know where they lead but in faith you keep stepping. To be brave means you admit you are afraid and start taking action to be more courageous. To be brave simply means you are willing to face your fears one small step at a time.
Here are some simple steps for living a more brave life:
- Spend some time daily re-discovering who you are without your titles, credentials, roles and material accomplishments. Ask yourself the question “who am I deep in my soul?”
- Spend some time daily deciding how you want to be in life. Ask yourself the question “how do I want to show up in the world?”
- Spend some time daily choosing how you want to spend your time. Ask yourself the question “how do I really want to live my life?”
- Spend some time daily deciding how to create more freedom, liberty and peace in your life. Ask yourself the question “who or what do I need to remove from my life to experience more joy, satisfaction and peace?”
- Spend some time daily how you can be more authentic and real in every moment. Ask yourself the question “what masks, veils, limitations and facades do I need to remove so the real me can show up with ease and grace?”
The one word to keep in mind as you spend time in your heart, thoughts and spirit is the word truth. In truth there is liberation; liberation from living by someone else’s standards. In truth there is power; power to step boldly into who you are with no regret. In truth there is peace; peace of mind, peace in your heart and peace in your spirit because you can finally be authentic. In truth there is comfort; comfort in knowing that you do not have to be everything to everyone. It may not be easy to live your truth but it’s a whole lot less work than trying to live someone else’s truth. When you live your truth you realize that your story does not determine your destiny. When you live your truth you don’t have to pretend you enjoy things you don’t. When you live your truth you say what’s on your mind instead of bottling up your voice and exploding later. When you live your truth you don’t fear being vulnerable because you know it’s a true expression of who you are as a human being. When you live your truth you experience less struggle and begin to live in the flow of your luscious life with more ease and grace.
When you finally begin to seek, be, live, speak and work in the truth of who you are you can then begin to live brave. When you choose to live brave you live instead of being alive. When you choose to live and be brave you finally begin to taste and savor the sweetness of life. What if you were brave? You are. You are already brave so start telling the truth about you and your life and take steps everyday to be brave in every moment. It’s your life and no one else’s so stop thinking “what if” and start loving what is and creating what will be.
Catrice M. Jackson, International Empowerment Speaker, Fear-Free Living Expert and Author
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