Being Brave

"Promise me you'll always remember you're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"  Christopher Robin to Pooh,

 Sometimes being brave is hard, especially when we feel we're alone with everything or when we think that nobody understands us.  Sometimes we have to stick our neck out, pop our heads above the parapet and leave it there.  That frequently requires bravery.  It is often a wobbly moment.  

We're brave when we stand up for someone or something that we believe in.  We're brave when we dare to be different.  We're brave when we bear bad news with dignity and grace.  We're brave when we shout our anguish and release our emotions in their raw glory.  We're brave when we walk on the wild side, when we dance to the beat of our own drum, when we show compassion for our secret souls and share our heartfelt hopes, our wildest wishes and our deepest dreams.

We're brave when we fly in the face of adversity

and say bollocks I'm doing it anyway.  We're brave when we say 'You could be right' and let the other person have the perceived win.  What about when you say 'I love you' to someone who hasn't heard that for a long time or 'I don't love you' to someone who isn't expecting that...doesn't that require a certain bravery also?

We're brave when we dare ourselves a bit more than we dreamt we could be dared.  When we test more than the water and when we say 'come on, lets do it'.  We're brave when we say No, when we tell 'enough is enough' and brave when we're scared to say no, frightened to say yes, terrified to say anything but we do anyway.  We're brave in our small one step at a time steps.

We're brave when we ask for help and braver still when we accept it.  What about putting ourselves first, isn't that an act of bravery in the judgemental arena of others opinions?  We're brave when we stand up, sit down, jump in and when we have the courage to walk away.

We're brave when we get out of our own heads, out of the chaos of over analysis and lean into our hearts.  When we tentatively put our trust into the god of our choice despite our misgivings or fears.

How do we reward ourselves for all this bravery?  When do we give ourselves a heartfelt hug and a big well done?  What do we need to do to remember our little and large acts of bravery?  How will we remember how brave we have actually been?  What about the realisation that we will indeed show bravery again in our future - how will enter into that?

Could we journal, write or paint our brave observations and memories?  Could we dance out our fears?  Could we luxuriate in our achievements?  Should we make ourselves a bravery award?  A precious plaque or paint a little beach pebble to keep in our pocket to remind ourselves?

Whatever you can do this week to remind yourself that you are indeed a big kind hearted brave soul - will you do it?  Will you create a little reminder, a little work of your own art, a little note to your bravest self to whisper 'Well done, my lovely'?  Will you create it, adore it, display it and admire it?  Can you take a moment to feel how good being brave actually feels?

The world, now more than ever, needs brave souls.  Will you be one of them?  This world needs you.  Christopher Robin needs you....