Thought for the Week: Be Brave

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When was the last time you really needed to be brave?  During my recent weeks of "over thinking," I asked myself this question more than a few times and the answer surprised me.  It occurred to me that I encounter small situations frequently that involve some degree of courage, but being truly brave isn't something with which I'm overly familiar.  

For most of my life, I've made safe and predictable choices.  The big decisions in my life have been carefully weighed, and without fail I've chosen the least risky and most responsible paths.  Now don't get me wrong- I wouldn't change a thing about my life or the experiences I've had thus far.  My only point is that I never went through a rebellious stage.  I never made the choices that had anything less than very clear and safe outcomes.  Risk taking is not in my DNA, and it's worked out pretty well for me thus far.  

Last week, however, I made a decision that took me to the edge of my courage and pushed me into bravery.  After weeks of debate, I decided not to pursue a career opportunity with an amazing team.  Every ounce of my responsible self wanted to take the job, but the career path and timing weren't right.  In an uncharacteristic move, I said no to the secure job, and I started working with Josh at HeroMe.  (Yes, you read that right - this "play it safe" girl turned down a steady job to join a start-up...maybe pigs do fly?!)

I know to some this might seem like a silly, overblown decision.  I can safely say, however, that this was the hardest choice I've ever made.  In general I am decisive, opinionated, and I know what I want.  But in this case, I was confused, scared, and felt like there wasn't a clear path to follow.  I spent more hours than I care to recall in prayer, asking for signs, and having internal debates with myself.  Now that I've made a decision, I'm at peace with my choice.  I feel the freedom to pursue opportunities that I love and that fit with my stage of life, and I feel so blessed to get to work with Josh everyday.  I don't know what the next few weeks, months, or years will hold, but I do know that I moved from courage into bravery when I said no.   

Before I close this post, I should note that the type of bravery I've described here is completely relative to my own life and experiences.  I know that I am blessed beyond measure, and I am fully aware that there are people out there who face much harder, tougher situations with more bravery than I can ever, ever hope to have.  To those truly brave ones - those facing illnesses, deployments, and hardships that I can't begin to imagine - thank you for being a wonderful example.

xo,