Getting Brave

There are so many different ways to be brave. Starting your own business, taking a new job, trying a new hobby, the opportunities for bravery are endless. As a small business owner, I recently found myself channeling my bravery when sending an email to a client. I spent two days pondering over the email, and came up with every scenario in my head. To be honest, the email I was sending didn't even deserve this much time in my headspace, it was so not a big deal. However, there I was. Fortunately, I had a little encouragement, and everything worked out.I was sending an email that asked for more money for a project I didn't feel I had been appropriately compensated. I wrote a polite email explaining what had happened, where there was confusion, and put in a straight forward request.WHY did I need to channel so much bravery for such a simple email? Because vulnerability is scary. It's scary to stand up for yourself, and it's scary to be brave! I often blow things out of proportion, so having a friend/mentor/parent look over an email is tremendously helpful for me. Talking with someone also helps me get some perspective, taking me from "end of the world crisis" to a "client situation". It's easy to take things personally when your business is your livelihood. It's easy to be worried about what people will think of you, or how you're being perceived. Bravery is hard.Sometimes bravery is admitting that you failed, you messed up and made a mistake. Sometimes bravery means taking a pay-cut for a more fulfilling job. Sometimes bravery is just sending a simple email that feels like the weight of the world. I want to hear how you're dealing with bravery today, and encourage you to show a little bravery today!