DO BRAVE-ISH THINGS

Contributed by: Ginger Rothhaas, Compassion Fix

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When you hear the word “brave,” do you think of something like skydiving or taking a big risk? Many people associate “brave” with a big scary adventure or something on a grand scale.

Brave-ish isn’t a grand event, it is a baby step toward building courage. Brave-ish is doing things like asking for help, trying something new, or saying “I don’t want to.”

I have talked with so many smart, loving, gifted people who feel stuck because they lack the courage to share their gifts, speak up, share their ideas, or step into their potential. I talk with women who feel resentful because they are afraid to enforce boundaries. I talk with men who feel stuck because they are afraid to share their feelings and emotions. Let’s build our brave-ish muscles together.17

17 Kristen Lee, Worth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More, and Offer Yourself to the World (Colorado: Sounds True Publishing, 2022).

Here are a few ideas for micro-dosing bravery:

• Speak up in a group setting

• Create something

• Invite someone to something

• Tell your story

• Reach out to an old friend

• Take a class

• Hire help

• Throw things away

• Take a day off

• Dance like no one is watching

• Ask for a raise

• Skip the party

• Say “no”

• Say “yes”

A woman in a class I was leading said she wanted to be more “brave-ish.” She wanted to grow more comfortable with being uncomfortable. She was going to try new things and stretch herself beyond her comfort zone. Being brave-ish was how she would start. Small steps toward greater courage.

If we are all a little more brave-ish, we might engage more in social justice, volunteer, contribute, and give. We might speak, vote, and act more bravely. We might see love begin to win.

TRY THIS

Practice small doses of courage this week and see what you notice. Maybe pick one brave-ish thing to do every day this week. Being brave is like going to the gym and starting weight training—we don’t just go right for the 150lb barbell, we start with the 5lb weights and move up from there. Quickly, we notice we are able to lift more

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Ginger Rothhaas, MBA, MDiv. is a seminary trained compassion coach who teaches about compassion at the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality. She is the founder of Compassion Fix Coaching, and she has written a book of mental health practices titled Being Human: 150 Practices to Make it Easier. She lives in Kansas City with her husband, their two teenage children, and two very enthusiastic dogs.

You can find Ginger at:

Websites: gingerrothhaas.com, compassionfix.com

Facebook and Instagram: @gingerrothhaas and @compassionfix

New Book: Being Human