30 Small Ways To Be Incredibly Courageous (Especially When You Don’t Feel Very Brave)

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I’m not talking about going skydiving, or traveling halfway around the world by yourself, or deciding to survive off the land for a month. I’m talking about bravery based on connection, honesty, self-love, and vulnerability. Ways in which we can choose each and every day to live boldly, to live with purpose, to live courageously.

1. Write with honesty. Write for yourself, and then share it with the world.

2. Pay someone a genuine compliment. Explain what it is about their inner being that makes you smile.

3. Declare your goals out loud, let them hang confidently in mid-air.

4. Reach out to someone you may have hurt, something that happened a long time ago, and apologize. Let them know that you remember, let them know that you still care, let it be purely for them, expect nothing in return.

5. Stand up for a stranger. If see you someone in need make a point to see how you can help.

6. Invite an acquaintance to lunch, communicate without barriers.

7. Refrain from sharing your opinion all the time, stand strong in your silence.

8. When met with hesitance after the casual “I’m good how are you” follow up and allow for space to the person to share more.

9. Place your yoga mat at the front of the class.

10. Give yourself permission to say, “I don’t know.”

11. Turn down plans and go to sleep early.

12. Break social norms. Say things that make others look up in surprise.

13. Mix patterns with confidence.

14. If you are waiting to be kissed, go ahead and kiss them first.

15. Show off your art.

16. Laugh loud when something cracks you up, let your voice reverberate off the walls.

17. Always be the one who shows up early to plans.

18. Go to a bar and order a soda.

19. Refuse to be a victim, find ways to help yourself, and refrain from shouting about it to the world.

20. Create barriers. Remember you can say no. Put yourself first, in a gentle way.

21. Find humor in your faults.

22. Express love. It could be conventional romantic love, or friendship love, or familial love. Just look right at someone and poignantly tell them that you love them.

23. Say yes. Say yes. Say yes.

24. Listen to people when they talk. Give them space for expression.

25. Chase after an acquaintance, make sure you say hi, even when you easily could have walked by undetected.

26. Advocate for what you need.

27. Sit in a coffee shop all on your own, no computer, no phone, no book.

28. Rise before 7am and go for a run.

29. Give hugs often.

30. Refrain from complaining, instead notice what you find beautiful, and share it with others.

featured image – Thiophene_Guy