“It takes courage to become who you really are” – E.E. Cummings
Have you ever found yourself thinking about someone else – “Wow, he or she is really brave” – as they did something you view as remarkable, seemingly without any fear at all?
It’s easy to hear the word “brave” and attach it to iconic images of superheroes and fearless warriors. It’s easy to hear the word “brave” and think of someone else. It’s also easy to witness what looks like bravery to us, and assume that courageous person has no fear. But REAL bravery has very little to do with capes, and very much to do with feeling and embracing fear.
Todd and Cathy Adams of Zen Parenting Radio had these wise thoughts to share about the word BRAVE:
“There is no way to be brave without also feeling fear. We must embrace our fears so that we are able to be brave,” says Todd. “Lean toward your fears as opposed to running away from them.”
“To me brave is about moving with your insides rather than looking to the outside,” Cathy adds, saying real courage plays out not on a grand stage but in day-to-day choices. “Are you brave enough to say no, are you brave enough to say yes, are you brave enough to walk away, are you brave enough to move toward? And the only person that can answer that question is the individual. We have to make brave decisions for ourselves to feel and express that amazing sense of internal connection (what I call joy) that aligns us with why we came here. It’s brave to be YOU, in every sense of the word.”
And how does the word BRAVE relate to TDM practice? Cathy’s take is: “You have to practice as you, for you, doing what feels good for you – not to impress others, but to reconnect to yourself, over and over.”
The one hour you spend in class is a great opportunity to practice how you want to “show up” in your life. What intention will you bring? Can you be truly present? How will you use your breath and body and thoughts to support yourself? Can you tune-inward to engage deeply? Can you push yourself to discover new “edges” every time you practice? Can you change, evolve, grow, expand? And most importantly can you show up for yourself NO matter what? To show up is dedication. To show up is to be brave.
Can you dedicate your TDM practice to being brave by being your best self? Here are some great ways to practice being brave every day:
Find your voice
Be you
Be true to yourself
Do what’s right for you
Don’t aim to please
Let go of what “they” will think
Don’t “should” on yourself
Do something scary
Do something hard
Get a little uncomfortable
Embrace a challenge
Do that BIG thing…
Start today
Try something new
Lean in
Allow yourself to be seen
Give a real answer to “How are you?”
Say NO
Say YES
Feed your fire
Be wild
Be free
Be uninhibited
…just BE… You.
We can’t wait to hear how you are BRAVE this month, so please SHARE your brave moments with us!
With love and support,
– Jill and Lorna