why you should embrace your brave.

My heart was full of thankfulness that friends had invited me to spend a few days with them in Mexico. I was excited beyond belief when I looked at my calendar and on such short notice I could squeak in four days to get away.

I boarded the plane with snorkel gear in my suitcase and books in my bag. Excited and ready for rest in the Caribbean. To say I was impatient to get there, well . . . that’s plain truth. My soul just breaths better in the Caribbean. Really, it does!

Books for the journey.

As we took off, I grabbed my bag and decided on which book to read first. Let’s All Be Brave by Annie F. Downs. seemed to tug at my soul in the moment. Cracking open the first page, I was immediately hooked. The tagline to this title is Living Life with Everything You Have. YES! That’s what I want to do.

Live life wholeheartedly.

Live adventurously.

Live wide-awake not missing a moment.

I read and read and read. Oh how reading makes those airline flights go by quickly! I was being challenged to be brave and I was loving it.

Landing in Cancun, I grabbed my suitcase. Headed to customs. Went through the normal procedures to step foot on Mexican soil. Everything went smoothly. Hello — it was the airport. While everything was in Spanish, which I speak not a lick of, it was translated in English. Hallelujah!

When you want to panic.

I finally stepped out into the bright sunshine and instantly I was bombarded with Spanish speaking people. This wasn’t even Spanglish — it was full-blown-fast-talking-Mexican-Spanish. They wanted to tell me things. They wanted me to buy things. They were talking so fast. I felt like things were spinning and spinning faster and I needed someone to slow down this crazy merry-go-round.

I live three hours from the Mexican border. That’s another story and I wrote about it here. I should know Spanish, but —

I just know a little. pequeño!

Uno.

Dos.

Tres.

El nino.

But somehow in their quick dialect, I wasn’t recognizing any of those words. However, despite my lack of language, I found my bus. Hopped on and headed to Playa Del Carmen, hoping that I’d recognize enough words to make my way to my friend who would be waiting for me.

Be your brave.

Sitting on that bus, I thought about how much I loved this. It was crazy, but I felt alive. See usually when I’m with a group of people, I let them figure it out. I’m comfortable. I’m a follower. I let them be brave and I just tag along. So, easy!

But that day, I was brave.

I embraced new territory. I had to recall from the recesses of my brain Spanish words I didn’t even know I knew or remembered. I had to step out in faith hoping I got it right and would end up where I needed to be. I was attentive to life. Every. Little. Detail.

Being brave awakens you. It brings your senses to a new level of awareness.

You stand taller. You hold your head higher because you did it! You pressed through the uncomfortable.

What’s your brave?

We talk about stepping over your fears here to serve a messy world. But what about stepping over those fears in other areas of your life as well.

Let’s get a little personal: What thing would you like to do that when you think about it you feel like you are on a crazy merry-go-round? You find yourself scared and wanting to puke.

Maybe it’s setting money aside to invest in something?

Maybe it’s going back to school?

Maybe it’s contacting an old friend?

Maybe it’s traveling to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language?

Maybe it’s talking to the boss about a new job possibility?

Whatever it is — just hop on the merry-go-round and do it. The fear that is holding you back is mostly a made-up-piece-of-fiction in your mind. [tweet that]

If you need extra encouragement, I highly highly highly recommend Annie’s book, Let’s All Be Brave — get it NOW. Yes, be brave and get it now!

Now that you’ve had time to think about that personal question — what brave thing will you be doing?