Merriam-Webster online definition of ‘BRAVE’:
1. Brave, adjective – ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.
2. Brave, noun – people who are ready to face and endure danger or pain.
3. Brave, verb – endure or face (unpleasant conditions or behavior) without showing fear.
hanggliding
Brave is what you say it is. We think of bravery as enduring danger or pain. We also think of it as doing things we are afraid of, pushing our boundaries like skydiving or speaking on a stage. Bravery can be much simpler than that.
Caregivers are brave as they witness those they love in pain, often helpless to do anything to ease it, feeling their own fear and despair. People who are bereaved are brave as they get out of bed each morning, after the life they imagined with their loved one is shattered and the future feels uncertain.
It can be allowing yourself to lie in bed and cry because that is the best you can do. It can be allowing yourself to be as you are, in private or publicly, and honoring your truth. It can be reaching out for support, company and hugs or taking quiet time for yourself. All these are brave.
Trust yourself. What is your brave action today?
