Last weekend I had an interesting conversation with my hubby. I’d spent some time fretting over past decisions and asked him if he thought I was brave.
I’ve never thought of myself as adventurous or ambitious – much as I might like to be – so I was expecting him to say no.
But he surprised me.
He pointed out that in the last few years I’ve changed jobs several times, choosing to leave behind positions that I’d outgrown or where I wasn’t happy. He said he would never be able to take that risk so easily.
I’ve never thought of starting a new job as brave, it’s just something I’ve done.
But we all have experiences that make us unique. Where I might be afraid to take the plunge and travel somewhere exotic or worry about whether or not I should get a tattoo, for other people those choices come easily.
Being brave doesn’t have to mean being adventurous. It doesn’t have to mean skydiving or bungee jumping or travelling the world alone. It doesn’t have to mean pursuing a career on the stage, moving abroad or training for a new profession later in life.
Being brave means facing up to a challenge. It means being afraid of something, but taking a deep breath and doing it anyway.
It could be as simple as handing in your notice at work, dying your hair or going over to that guy on the bus and introducing yourself.
We all have it in us to be brave in so many unexpected ways.
Just remember that what might seem normal or boring to you, might be inspiring to the person beside you.
Sophie says
I love this! I always think of myself as a bit of a wimp, but underneath it all I thin I’m stronger and braver than I give myself credit for.
Amy Lord says
Yep, sometimes it’s good to sit back and think about some of the things you’ve done with a little distance. That’s when you realise that maybe you’ve been tough on yourself and you do have some cool things going on!