What does it mean to be brave?

Being brave does not mean being foolish. It does not mean taking unnecessary risks (although that is sometimes fun like skydiving) or living without fear. Being brave means taking action in the face of fear.
So often we avoid making changes in our lives or our relationships that are needed for growth, improved health, progress in our professions. We avoid them because of the threat of confrontation, discomfort and the unknown. We become controlled by our fear. Progress in the face of fear takes awareness and courage.
Living courageously requires a change in mindset. We must be aware of fears that prevent us from reaching our goals but first we have to define those goals. We have to define exactly what we want. Only then can we see clearly what drives our fears and our actions.

“Don’t be afraid of your fears. They’re not there to scare you. They’re there to let you know that something is worth it.” ― C. JoyBell C.

Next, plan for tomorrow but live in today. In our lives, jobs and relationships we have challenges. Sometimes we know when a particularly busy or difficult day is approaching. We must decide to live in the moments of the day and not in the potential failures of tomorrow. We only know the past and the here and now. We cannot know the future. We can be comfortable in the fact that we have the courage to face the unknowable. No whining, no complaining, just get on with it.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

Speaking of the past, take comfort in your experiences. We’ve al had situations where we had to be brave. When we’ve been outside our comfort zone and performed well. We can draw from these events with the knowledge that although it was stressful, it was also successful.

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu

Surround yourself with supportive people. When we have a team on our side, we can allow ourselves to be vulnerable For every person in your life who helps you along your way, be confident that you are helping them in turn.

Finally, give yourself a break.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston S. Churchill

There are no real failures but great opportunities to learn. We learn more from our failures than we do our successes. Be willing to learn at every turn. Have confidence that no matter what you try, no matter what the outcome you’ll either be successful in your effort or you gain knowledge on how to improve yourself. Win/win!