I first flew out of the country alone when I was thirteen years old. I journeyed to the beautiful Caribbean Sea where I lived on a sailboat for three weeks while obtaining my advanced scuba dive & sailing licenses. I knew not a single soul on that trip before I got there.
I was nervous beyond belief. I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea what the thirteen other kids on my boat would be like. That plus the fact that I HAD NO CELL SERVICE AND COULD NOT TEXT MY MOM (cue the tears) made for overwhelming feelings of fear & anxiousness despite my obvious excitement for this journey of a lifetime.
Usually, when I tell people that, especially adults, I am met with a response that goes something like this: “Oh my goodness! Your mom let you go by yourself to the Caribbean for three weeks to sail on a boat to different islands when you didn’t know any of the other kids?! *jaw drops*”
Yes, she did. And I am so beyond grateful for that.
My mom is prudent & takes proper safety precautions. But she also believes in living a life that is abundant with bold, brave adventures. Living a life that challenges & grows herself and our family.
That trip expanded my view of the world. I got to see different cultures for the first time. I saw extreme poverty for the first time. I learned how to step into an environment where I know absolutely no one and be comfortable knowing that I have God by my side. This trip is also the reason I can pretty much strike up a conversation with any random person I ever encounter in my life… which I sometimes get made fun of for, but hey, I want to see & know as many people as possible. 😉
I tell you this story because it appears to be a huge act of bravery. I could also tell you that I went scuba diving 100 ft down with bull sharks and no cages in Fiji. Or how I drove a golf cart up a steep mountain in Costa Rica during a literal monsoon and the entire cart flipped backwards and over. Sorry fam!
But truly, I believe some of my bravest moments—and your bravest moments— appear to be so much smaller than those examples I gave you.
As I prepared to write on this topic, I did a lot of soul searching on how bravery has played a role in my life. You want to know what I realized?
Many of the most meaningful, impactful moments of my life included bravery as a key player. They included letting go of fear & leaning into discomfort & trusting that whatever the outcome, I never want to live a life that goes without bravery.
Now that you’ve heard some of my crazy, brave stories, I want to be real with you all about some even braver moments of my life:
Giving my heart to someone who could possibly break it. Having hard conversations & leaning into conflict (I do not like conflict and am the queen of “let’s resolve this right away and move forward ASAP!”). Feeling comfortable enough to share some of the hard things that have happened in my life with the entire internet, which most definitely includes people who could use my vulnerabilities to try and hurt me. Deciding to live my life in ways that are God honoring, even when culture says otherwise. Being kind to someone who has hurt me tremendously, even when they haven’t apologized. Standing strong in a crowd of people who have said hurtful words about me. Reaching out & spending time with people who others have ignored. The list goes on.
So yes, I’ve traveled alone to many places & swam with sharks & have a bajillion crazy stories of adventures I’ve taken. But none of those things compare to the list I just gave you. And I like to think that God gave me the blessing of being able to experience those wild adventures in order to better prepare my heart for the seemingly “smaller” moments of bravery that I need to encounter everyday.
Do I currently live my life in the bravest way possible? Do I currently live without fear of rejection or other people’s opinions or failure? Absolutely not. Actually, I struggle with this every. single. day. But I’m working my gosh darn hardest to. Bravery is a choice I wake up everyday and make.
And today, I want to challenge you to do the same. Declare bravery as an integral part of your life. I promise, no matter the outcome of those brave choices, you won’t regret it. I’m cheering you on.
Always,
Elle
P.S.- Enjoy this lil’ collage of thirteen year old me, fresh faced and living it up in the Caribbean with my Target neon yellow t-shirts & thin Nike headbands! Really making some fashion statements here.
