Beautifully Brave

There’s a line in Untamed by Glennon Doyle that I love. It’s something I have seen before in other contexts, and I love being reminded of it. She writes, “The braver I am, the luckier I get.” Yes, yes, and yes! A couple of years ago I read a quote to that effect on Instagram. It was about how so often we are scared to jump off a cliff, only to realize we’ve landed on a featherbed. Nature rewards courage, is the message. I was struck when I read that, and I have lived according to that promise from nature. Doyle’s sentiment was an affirmation of how bravery and chutzpah, despite our fears, will land us in the right places. It’s an amazing reward for soldiering on while consumed with doubt and trepidation. No one is telling you to not be scared or to suppress your feelings; that’s cruel and unnatural. But the encouraging message here is supportive and reassuring. It doesn’t mean we will get our fixed desired outcome. But it means follow your heart and swing for the fences. If you fall flat on your face, ok. Not the end of the world. Since man has walked the earth, he has sometimes felt like a giant asshole. It’s something we all go through; don’t take your foibles so seriously. Fear of failure, rejection, embarrassment; all very real and scary. Whatever it is, do it anyway. It’s better to try, than to live with the corrosive shame in not honoring yourself and living your truths.

Things that have frightened me to my core:
    Getting divorced
    Going to DJ school
    Starting Lady Blaga
    Social media
    New relationships
    Parasailing
    Zip lining

These are just some examples. Each of our lives are comprised of thousands of scary details. I can tell you from from own experiences, that the things I was most afraid of have put me in all the right places. Once I pushed past the dragons guarding the gates, I entered into soft realms full of welcoming spaciousness and possibility. I felt loved, mostly by myself. That’s the secret to bravery; it’s an act of self love that immediately draws in more love from the universe. We allow for gifts to touch us by telling those dragons to get out of our way. I mean, how scary is childbirth??? It gives us the best gifts imaginable. To be brave is to be vulnerable and raw, otherwise it’s often a form of denial. To pretend like nothing is bothering you is false bravery. To know you’d rather crawl back into a cave but venture out anyway is the real stuff.
 As I’m faced with new situations and possibilities, damn right I’m scared.  But I refuse to let the “what if’s” control my life. I’m living proof that nature rewards courage. The more dark, unfamiliar paths I travel, the more I see the world I’m meant to live in. I see your fear. I hear your doubts and reservations. I know that whatever it is you’re afraid of tackling, will be met with support and guidance. Failure and rejection are redirection. We were built to jump and designed to land.
Sending love and admiration as you bravely walk your individual paths. Don’t let fear conquer you; let IT watch YOU conquer your story.