Recently I have encountered several people who exemplify bravery. They each in their own way faced fear with mental strength and endured with courage. They each embodied the words of Nelson Mandela who wrote: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” For most of us the moments that call for bravery will be in small, ordinary ways in our daily life. A child returning to school exhibits bravery as they enter a new school or classroom. A person trying something new for the first time. Someone who engages in dialogue with someone whose perspective is different than their own. Any moment in which we lean into our fear and discomfort for extra moments to allow it to be joined by other experiences such as strength, healing or sometimes even surprise.
As the dog days of summer continue I invite you to keep an eye our for bravery both within yourself and in those around you. For when we live with bravery, with the courage to conquer our fear, our hearts our expanded. No longer caught in fear, we are able to live fully and invite others to do the same as we learn together to face life’s opportunities/challenges with bravery and courage.