Rethinking Having to Be Brave

This week I have had many days of back-to-back meetings and some tough conversations. I found myself bolstering up to start my day and thinking about boldly tackling what was ahead.

Can you relate?

Others that I talked to this week could. A theme I’ve noticed surfacing with clients and in conversations is bravery. What does bravery mean to you?

For me, it conjures a picture of someone putting on armor and moving forward to perform a heroic act. This act is a battle, a battle against someone, or a battle within themselves, to create a certain outcome. Bravery happens during seemingly impossible odds.

This is sometimes me depending on what I have on my calendar or my to do list. I have “dragons” to slay during the day whether it be items to move forward, conversations to be had, or ideas to implement. Some days are tiring. Some days I need to be brave.

But do I? What if, in actuality, there is no dragon? What if the “battle” is based partly on my imagination?

Because when I look at the days in which I am not tired, days in which I have gotten a ton done and I’m energized, I feel like bravery was not needed. In those days, instead of slaying some imaginary dragon, I am showing up just as I am and letting others, or situations, meet me just where they are. If it works on these days where I can move forward in the direction I want, great. If it doesn’t, that’s great too. Because I will learn and find a new path.

This does not mean I will give up easily or not put in effort. Instead, my bravery means I can move forward with a steadfast conviction of inquisitive joy and an openness to what will happen, not a rigid tightness. These are the days I show up in the world as I am, take off more of the armor, and see the world not as something to be conquered, but something to be explored.