We have all been there.

That moment you can feel in the pit of your stomach. It’s THAT pit.  YOU know the one I’m talking about.  The one a swarm of a thousand butterflies bursts out of your stomach causing a wave and rush of emotions to flood your body.  Their wings seem to flutter inside you so fiercely that all the air seems to be pushed out of your body.  It’s all you can do to gasp for air.  It’s all you can do to hold onto reality.  You’re just barely able to hold it together.  It seems to make time stand still for a brief moment.  It is incredibly ferocious, mind-bendingly powerful, totally and utterly unavoidable and inevitable for ALL human beings to experience…

FEAR

No one is immune to fear.  It bombards you when you feel like you need it the least. You’re about to give an oral presentation to a class, you’re about write a post in a thread that you know will stir things up but needs to be said, you’re about to post this post (I’m absolutely terrified of putting my writing out to the world!!! No joke), you’re about get on a plane, you’re about to take a final test, you’re about to ask someone out on a date, you’re about to start a race, you’re about to pick up a spider or a snake, you’re about to ask for the sale, you’re about to ask for a raise, you’re about to look over the edge of a tall building or cliff…  BAM!  Fear slaps you in the face saying “DON’T DO IT!!!!”

Sometimes that voice wins.  You back down and the butterflies start to slowly flutter away.  You feel relieved as it says “You have avoided what could have been a catastrophe! You really dodged a bullet there.”  Every time this happens, that voice of fear becomes stronger.   You become a little less brave without even realizing it. You feel safe now that the feeling is gone, but you can’t help but wonder… What if?

What if I would have done it?  What if I would have stepped up against that A-hole in the chatroom and told him to stop bullying that poor girl?  What if I did actually post this message into our blog?  What if I would have jumped off that bridge into the lake?  What if I would have just asked him or her out to the dance?  Maybe we’d be together now.  What if? What if? What if?  Do you really want to be asking yourself that question?  “What if” is always living in the past wondering what could have happened in a moment that will never change.  Your decisions are forever.  End of story.  You can’t make the exact same decision again.  It’s a different moment.  It’s right now.

Right now you are reading this sentence.  Right now you have already made a different decision.  You have decided to approach these moments with a different voice.  You have decided that you want to be brave.  The truth is, living bravely is not easy.  Courage is born from struggle.  It’s not a ‘one and done’ decision.  The only way to become more brave is to act bravely.  Moment by moment, choosing to act boldly.  This leads to moments like this:

“That was a moment that made me”

Chances are, that moment spoken about above was a moment of struggle.  A moment where the butterflies ran rampant, but were overcome.  Instead of letting that immense ball of energy called fear push you away from the brave choice, it was harnessed and used to propel you.  You didn’t let it defeat you, instead you let it FUEL you.  It actually made you stronger simply because you made a choice to take control of the fear.  That is powerful.  You have that power and ability inside you.  You are stronger than you know and the feats you are capable of accomplishing would blow your mind.  But how do you become that bold and courageous? It’s not like you just flip a switch.

Being Brave isn’t about becoming fearless. It’s about taking action even though you’re scared.

Fortunately for all of us, being brave is a habit. Like all habits, it can be learned!!!  It may seem daunting at first, but all habits start small. You don’t climb Mt. Everest by jumping to the top. You do it by putting one foot in front of the other. You do it by taking that next step and the step after that. Those simple steps you take culminate over time leading you those great moments. “Yeah, I did that” can replace “what if”. Your boldness will grow, people will be drawn to you and want to know what your secret is.

This is great Ebin… but How DO I get there?

Take our Brave Challenge!  If you really want to live more intentionally every day… a little braver every day… make a commitment to yourself. Your worth it and your future self WILL thank you. You know how we know? Because you’ll look back at past you after taking the challenge. You’ll see the transformation in the enchanted words you put down on the page. They will spring back to life and show you the lessons you’ve learned and how much you’ve grown! They will inspire you to do even more because YOU are INCREDIBLE! So make the commitment to yourself and invite some friends to join!

Cheers to you!!! You have already taken that next step just by reading this. The Brave Challenge is a simple yet powerful tool that will help inspire and challenge you to commit to a braver, bolder life. We look forward to hearing about your journey and meeting the person you become. The person you know you can be. Remember, it’s a journey. Not a destination. We’ll be right there with you. One step at a time. Join us now!  The movement is growing!  There are thousands and thousands of people ready to hold your hand and give you the encouragement you need along the way.