Welcome the Challenge
I love Brenee Brown. I’ve watched more than a couple of times to her latest offering on Netflix, ‘ The Call to Courage’. It’s not because I didn’t get the message the first time! No! I got it so much I wanted to keep pretending she was my very own personal life coach, willing me forward! I’ve been loving her messages around vulnerability for quite a while now but this one speaks to me like she actually is speaking to me!
The thing is though, I already know this message by heart, the one that keeps telling me to step into my power, to be brave enough to make my own life no matter what anyone else thinks that life is looking like. It’s been there very consciously in recent times but sub-consciously it’s been there all my life. It’s part of my life lesson to find the courage to be the real me and live my life as a reflection of it.
I’ve actually now put a lot of steps in place to make this life of mine happen as I want it to. I’m good at organising to make things happen but from time to time, often the actual stepping into the plan myself was elusive. It sometimes feels surreal but I finally have that elusive Italian Visa in my passport that will allow me to taste the different life I’ve been coveting. Amongst the excitement and satisfaction there are many emotions that float in and out. Anxiety around how this will work out or even at times, if it will work out is underlying. There is guilt at leaving family members but I'm tempering this with the sage advice from Brenee. I am taking her words very personally when she says ‘to live in the arena…to be brave with ..life. ..to show up…take chances ….have a go at life.’ I'm listening to the message to be brave and to be proud that finding the courage to be vulnerable and to take risks is part of my plan.
I'm coaching myself as well to get me through the processes, decisions, paperwork and organisation that were needed and still need to happen to get me there. At times I can feel my body carrying the old tension so I'm willing myself to relax and stay calm, to let go of past habits and issues, to actively breathe instead of holding that breath in. I'm using what I’ve learned to stay in the present moment rather than to think too far ahead though. I'm telling myself to look at each part of the journey as mine to live, to thank myself for the organisational gifts I have, working through that long list to get myself there. I'm looking at those jobs as just steps and to welcome the satisfaction of a job well done! I'm letting the love flow to myself for being brave, for having a go, for daring to try something different with my life.
As part of my Italy plan and before I arrive in a few weeks, I’m spending some time in Bali, a place where deep healing has happened for many, including myself. Let the healing be deep, intuitive and full of self-love and opening to the brave me. I want to be bountiful with myself to welcome the abundance of new connections, interactions and learning both for myself, with myself and about myself.
So I’ll openly use Brenee and her words of wisdom to keep my courage up as I enter the arena and like Brenee, before I get out of bed in the morning I’m going to use her words and tell myself, ‘Today I choose courage over comfort’ for there will surely be discomfort, disappointments and moments of self-doubt but against it will be the satisfaction of knowing that I dared to give life a push. When I accept her advice, I feel in possession of my life and my emotions as though I have put some angst and fear to bed. I also feel mellow and accepting of where life will take me and what it will bring. I feel grateful and blessed for my opportunities.
