Be Brave

Sunshiny thought for this dark grey Monday:

Step outside of yourself and do something BRAVE.

I don’t necessarily mean climbing a steep mountain or throwing yourself out of a perfect good plane (though these things are darn fun and I do recommend :)). What I mean is do something new, something you’ve never tried before, something outside your usual self, something others typically wouldn’t see you doing, something that gives you butterflies, a jolt of excitement, maybe scares you a little. (* I do mean for this “something” to be healthy and good for you).

Aside from a little dose of natural dopamine and just straight fun, you know what? It will keep you coming back for more. Now what if this “something” is good and healthy for you, AND you want to keep doing it? Well, that’s a good thing all around, right??!?!!

A great friend of mine reminded me this past weekend how great being brave can feel. I like to see myself as brave, and I think others would describe me this way as well. But in truth, I am a very cautious, calculating, risk-adverse individual.

I do brave things not by nature, but because I make a conscious decision to do so.

I routinely force myself out of my comfort zone on purpose, but I don’t do this by taking reckless, uncalculated risks (usually!). I set a novel task, think about how I am going to get there, prepare (learn, study, practice, calculate, whatever), and go for it. When I compete (or try anything totally new), yes I push myself WAY out of my comfort zone, but when I hit the platform, I feel confident, prepared, and in a good mental and physical state to succeed.

I constantly set myself up to do brave and challenging things because I absolutely love how it makes me feel. The pride, the confidence, the sense of empowerment, and yes sometimes just fun. And sometimes, doing something brave can cause a little ripple, which just might inspire others around you to do something brave and good and fun too.

So go ahead and step outside that box once in a while. Yeah it may feel scary and uncomfortable for a few moments, but the reward is so so worth it.

Thanks @karakrum for the much needed reminder :)

Infitiny ~ Be Exceptional