Would you consider yourself brave?

I don’t consider myself brave but others do consider me brave …

I don’t consider myself brave. I’m afraid to drive in the snow, to ride roller coasters, of heights, of falling …..

The list can go on an on.

Recently I sent an email to a select group of people and asked them what they thought my unique ability was. I got many responses. One characteristic that I got back over and over was that I was brave… me? Brave?

This characteristic surprised me. Do they even know me?

When I think brave, I think of the warrior, the fireman, the police officer, the front line of those working with people on the streets. I do not think of me. So I looked up the definition of brave. “brave,courageous, and bold mean showing no fear. brave is used of a person who has or shows no fear when faced with danger or difficulty.” I’m not brave… I’m scared all the time. I’m writing a blog: I’m scared it will offend someone, or worse, no one will read it. I’m starting a business: I’m scared that it will fail. I will fail. No one will find what I am offering of value. We are in the middle of due diligence to purchase another company: I am scared this is a mistake. I’m scared this is the wrong time to purchase a business. I’m scared this will put us into too much debt. My Grandmother in law: I’m scared we are making the wrong decisions. I’m scared we will miss a sign. I’m scared we are too busy to be her best care givers. Do you get my point?

Am I brave because I do it anyway?

Brene Brown said “daring greatly is being brave and afraid every minute of the day at the exact same time.”

If I’m honest, the fear can stop me. It can prevent me from doing what I know I need to do. I have had to learn to forgive myself, face the fears, learn from them, heal and then try to move forward again.

I guess if those that know me, care about me, see me; think I am brave… then I think what they see is someone attempting to dare greatly. Someone just trying to find her way to make a difference to as many people as possible. Someone trying to learn to fail forward. Someone trying to live big.

I am brave!

What does being brave mean to you? Are you brave?

“Be brave. without bravery, you will never know the world as richly as it longs to be known. Without bravery, your life will remain small – far smaller than you probably wanted your life to be.”

Elizabeth Gilbert