Wait a minute… what? Day 1 of “100 Days to Brave”? Didn’t we have this post already?

The simple answer is, yes. A few weeks ago I posted about Day 1 of my “100 Days to Brave” journey. But here’s what happened. In that post I had invited anyone interested in participating to join me in the experience. Truthfully, I didn’t really expect to get any kind of response. However, over the next day or two I had several people contact me with a desire to be a part of this journey!

Since no one had the book yet, and it would take a few weeks to order, we decided to push the start date back a bit. So here we are, on June 15^th, ready to start again! And this time, instead of doing it with one friend, I am doing it with six other ladies who are excited about pursuing radical courage together.

So it’s Day 1 all over again, and I’m still excited! I am excited to do this with a group and for us to hold each other accountable as we journey through this book. I am excited to hear their thoughts, ideas, and perspectives about what it means to “live brave”. And I’m excited for all of us to become braver than before together!

In the reading for Day 1 of this study, the author talks about how the moments of greatest fear in her life—which she describes as “those times when I was sure I was going to wimp out under the pressure of it all”—were also the greatest opportunities for change in her life. I can totally resonate with this concept. Time and time again, when I have been faced with a seemingly scary situation and have taken some kind of leap of faith, I have come out on the other side stronger, better, and braver.

Case in point, Avra.

Getting pregnant, giving birth, and becoming a mom were all terrifying experiences for me! There were a lot of ways that I felt “ready” for parenthood, but it still completely rocked my world when Avra was born. Everything I knew was suddenly different. The places where I derived my sense of purpose, value, and meaning were all challenged to the core. All of a sudden, there were all of these new kinds of fears that I had to navigate that just never existed for me before.

And so the past year has been full of these leaps of faith. Choosing to move forward into the unknown, despite the fear and anxiety that would attempt to hold me back. And each day, as I see myself moving forward, I gain a new sense of confidence. I gain a new resolve that says, “I can do this.” I mean… giving birth? Like, if I can get through that? Well, come on. I can do anything!

So there it is. For me, life is not a journey towards BRAVE, but a journey towards BRAVER. Because you never arrive at “BRAVE”. You just keep pushing past your fears—both old and new—and in the process, you grow braver.

And I am excited to see how much braver I am 100 days from now!

Do you resonate with the idea that the greatest times of fear in life can also be the greatest opportunities for change? Tell me about it in the comments below!