the ideas, dreams, and passions you’ve kept hidden in your heart? Act on them! It doesn’t matter how big or difficult they may seem. It’s your turn.
Everyday women
leave their mark
on the world. I think
one of them
should be you.
WORDS TO BE BRAVE BY
day 12
BRAVERY
DOESN’T COME FROM
BEAUTIFUL PLACES.
BRAVERY IS BIRTHED IN
DARK DAYS
AND UNCERTAINTY.
day 13
LEARNING TO SAY NO
I am the worst when it comes to saying no. Not just because I’m a natural-born people pleaser, but also because I genuinely want to participate in life and help a friend when I can.
The problem is that participating in everything ends up leaving me time for nothing. Nothing I care about, anyway. I will be busy, but not productive. All that busyness just leaves me tired and cranky with no energy left for the people and ideas that move me.
This is your reminder that it’s okay to say no. It’s more than okay; it’s a requirement. Politely decline an event, a request, or a call at least once a week. Consider it an exercise in becoming comfortable and confident at saying no.
You can’t do everything at once. There will be times when you say no to things you love and yes to things you don’t. That’s okay, too.
PURSUE EXCELLENCE
WHEN YOU’RE GENUINELY TRYING TO DO YOUR BEST, YOU’RE EXPANDING WHAT YOUR BEST CAN BE.
day 14
EXCELLENCE
There is power in living a life of excellence. Not under the pressure of perfection but in the pursuit of excellence. “Doing your best” seems to be a dying concept these days. The truth is, as adults, we know not everyone gets a trophy, and excellence is required to succeed.
Whatever your goal or dream, it requires that you do your very best to achieve it. Dream chasing is not for the halfhearted. It requires epic proportions of diligence and tenacity. You must bring your best self to the table.
Pursuing excellence simply means you are working hard at doing your best. I’m not advocating killing yourself for your job or dream. Long-term exhaustion isn’t productive. I do believe that the earth and the people in it respond positively to those folks who are sincerely doing their best.
I firmly believe that being your truest, most authentic self is a high and moral calling, but unearthing that higher self requires intention and work.
Pursue excellence in your self-care, your relationships, and your work. When you’re genuinely trying to do your best, you’re expanding what your best can be. It grows with you.
day 15
RISK
Be daring, be brave. Rise above the chatter, and live your life with purpose and passion. Go beyond what most would consider normal. Pursue the extraordinary.
Give yourself permission to chase your dreams in a daring way. Be audacious. There is always risk in growth. No one has ever accomplished anything great by playing it safe.
Risk taking is not your enemy, but living your life in the safety zone is. The worst that can happen is your risk not working out. Second worst thing: other people will see it. Neither of these will kill you. I’m living proof.
You may take one hundred risks with ninety-nine failures, but that’s not a good enough reason not to live a daring life. There’s too much at stake. Your purpose and your impact on others’ lives are worth the risk.
So now that you know you won’t die from failure, go ahead and pursue your dreams with tenacity.
WHO YOU
ARE ON THE
inside
IS WHAT
femininity
IS TRULY ABOUT.
day 16
YOUR OWN KIND OF
feminine
LADIES, I’M AFRAID WE’VE BEEN HIJACKED.
The sheer volume of “beauty standards” these days is enough to make one’s head spin. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good beauty product, but there’s more to beauty than what we are being fed by the media.
Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with digitally enhanced versions of what it means to be a woman. Femininity has come to mean a certain ideal set by companies selling their product line. The products stoke our insecurities, then offer their help. What, your thighs don’t look like this model’s on the cover of the magazine? We’ve got a cream for that. That’ll be $200, please.
I’m here to tell you that you get to be the creator of your own femininity. Want blue hair? Go for it. Want to wear all black for the rest of your life? I’m for you.
Who you are on the inside is what femininity is truly about—not your weight, your clothes, or your hair. You ARE feminine, and you have the chance to express it in whatever way you want.
That digitized image cannot compete with the uniquely feminine you. Not even close.
WORDS TO BE BRAVE BY
