One BRAVE thing a day

Stretching nice and slow, leaning in, willing ( but not really) fingertips ready for the next passerby……

 

I jerked back just before it skimmed the tip of my finger!!!

 

whew, that was close

 

“Mommm, you’ve got to!  This can be your brave thing today.”

 

Man. 

 

I was so close to a pass when he spurred me with the challenge.

 

It’s my fault.  I started this whole “gotta do one brave thing a day thing.” Dang it.

 

Deep breath.

 

As I began to stretch my arm again, pep-talking myself, “it’s just a ….”

 

“HURRY MOM! HERE IT COMES! HURRY BEFORE YOU MISS IT!”

 

Both of their eyes fixed on me, I stretched my almost shaking arm back into the cool water just in the nick of time, “I DID IT! I touched the squishy, make my skin-crawl-EW! stingray- ugh!-gross!!”

 

And then, I’m almost sure that I threw up in my mouth.

 

“EW!  they’re so slimmmy”…

 

“Yea, but you did it mom.  You did your one brave thing today.”

 

“I sure did, boys.  I sure did.”

 

Our family adopted this little charge of doing one brave thing a day a little over a year ago.

 

It’s been fun and funny.

 

I don’t remember the exact day we implemented it and there was no grand plan or theology behind it other than we want our boys to become brave young men.

 

And as it is with anything else,

practice makes perfect

Or at least practice makes it easier, right?

 

We’re not systematic about it really.  The opportunities usually present themselves.

 

This past weekend, while at a wrestling match, the younger wanted a snack from the concession stand.

 

He asked me to go get it for him.  I said no.  He threw me a sad-ish head-tilt.  I threw one back at him, smiled and said,  “Go for it!  Go do your brave thing today.”

 

It works.

 

I don’t know why it works other than when we started it, we meant it.  (#beconsistent)

 

In the beginning the boys were more timid, less eager, as they began to go in to pay for gas at the local service station, ask questions for themselves verses me asking for them, retrieve stamps from the post office, etc..

 

They have recently began to look for ways to BE BRAVE themselves, challenging each other  and have even challenged J and I to be more brave.

 

“Do not do for children what they can do for themselves-“

 

Is a line I read years ago, before we ever had our boys.  It stuck.

 

Our BE BRAVE mantra is really nothing more than training for real life.

 

You and I know all-to-well that life is full-to-the-brim with hard things.  Things that challenge us and take us out of our comfort zones.

 

So why not start now?

 

Accompany us, will you?

 

You and your people,  join our tribe,  in our ONE BRAVE THING A DAY journey.

 

Remember, there is no formula other than to look for one BRAVE thing a day.

 

Seek out that brave thing that stretches you or your tribe just a smidgen.

 

And then when you find yourself surprised by how brave you actually are-try another and then another.

 

Our bravery will look different.

 

Maybe your brave thing is to make a wrong right?

 

Maybe you will visit an old friend?

 

Maybe you’ll reach out and touch a slimy stingray!

 

Maybe you’ll start a new job, a new business, start a new relationship?

 

Maybe your brave thing is to try a tomato?

 

Maybe you need to share your testimony, start a blog or a podcast!?

 

Brave is contagious.  

 

When you are brave you make others brave!

 

Start small.  Dream BIG. BE BRAVE! dear ones

 

BE BRAVE!

 

oh! and then–> share YOUR BRAVE thing with us in the comment section below.

 

I can’t wait to hear from you!

 

sweet dreams y’all,