Using curse words are not typically in my everyday vocabulary, but sometimes it just feels good, doesn’t it? It adds that little something extra and who doesn’t like to be a little extra these days. Anyway, whether you talk like a sailor or if cuss words are against your moral compass, I would not judge you either way. I don’t judge people for choosing how they live and I hope you won’t either. Continue reading on and join me in becoming your best, bravest self. 

The start of a new year, feels like a fresh start, a reset button. A new year is the perfect time to reflect, refocus and revisit your goals. There is nothing wrong with having a resolution, but honestly what typically happens to those resolutions a couple months down the line? Yup, they fly away like geese in the winter. The fully packed gym in January and February quickly starts to dwindle back to its regular crowd of mostly mirror hogging meat heads, along with those who embrace the power of consistency. I don’t say this to make you feel guilty about whether you go to the gym or not. Rather, the point here is to encourage you to stick to your goals, whatever those goals may be.

This year, I hope to encourage you to do something a little different than just set goals. Stop defining yourself by your physical body, stop saying maybe or I hope to do this someday, but instead, I want you to join me in being F♥cking brave. You are already brave? Ok great, but are you f♥cking brave?! I don’t mean the kind of brave where you jump out of an airplane, walk a tightrope or do some other crazy dare devil things. Yes, those things are badass and you are braver then me in that sense. The kind of brave I am talking about is the vulnerable kind, the kind of brave that pushes you outside your comfort zone mentally, the one that actually has you doing rather than just saying, the truly life altering and emotionally inspiring kind of brave. 

In the last few years I can proudly say I have been truly brave and I am continually pushing beyond the boundaries of my bravery. This year and beyond, I hope you can join me in the quest to continue to not just be brave, be F♥cking brave. Below are some tips to start having more courage in your life.

Speak your Truth 

Vulnerability is often seen as weakness, a lot of things are “seen” as weakness but guess what, that does not mean it is true. Speaking your truth, owning who you are and embracing who you are, thats truly one of the bravest things you can do. Not just embracing who you are, but letting others see who you really are unapologetically. This is not easy, but being brave is not easy. The things that mean the most in life are the things you really have to work hard for. Speaking your truth may take time, but have courage to work at it. Once you start seeing the positive result of your honesty, the fears will lesson. Your feelings do matter. Don’t hold back from expressing how you feel. Obviously, you want to be conscious of how your words can hurt someone, but expressing how you feel can help mend & deepen relationships in your life. Most importantly, your relationship with yourself.

It’s Ok to Be Two Faced 

You may read this heading and think, girl what are you talking about? Don’t be two faced in the sense that you are kind to someones face, and mean behind it. No one likes a mean girl, or boy. I have a some different perspectives on how you can be two faced, not the normal meaning of the term. Firstly, let’s talk about makeup. I personally do not wear much makeup regularly, but also have not judgment on those that do. I like getting a little dolled up on occasion however, hello girls night out. Wear as much beautiful makeup as you please everyday, but also have bravery to not be afraid to show your bare skin. You can absolutely do both. You can also take that beautiful selfie with a filter as well as naturally and should feel beautiful either way. My hope is that regardless you see your beauty from the inside, out. I hope that, what you see on social media or that no one else’s beauty, makes you question your worthiness.

Next, when I say two faced, I am talking about emotions and the ability to be different around different people. I can gladly say that I have a wide range of friends of different ages, cultures, backgrounds and so on. With some friends I am much more talkative, silly and open. While with others I can be a bit more reserved and soft spoken. Then with others my nerdiness comes out or I feel a sense of calm. My point is, it is ok that certain things shine out of you differently when you are with different people, as long as you feel true to who you are in that moment. Do not change or act differently for others in order for them to like you, but certain energies and comforts can allow you to have those different relationships and it is ok.

Lastly, be brave enough to really feel your emotions and not be afraid to let them out, gracefully. We are humans and we have different thoughts and emotion continually running through us. If you are typically a very positive, smily and happy person, that is fantastic. But if you are having a bad day, let yourself have a bad day. It’s ok to no always be on point. Find the bravery to accept it and be ok with it. In these ways, I believe it’s ok to be two faced, we are not one demential, but a complicated and complex species that we do not need to fault ourselves for. You can present different faces, as long as you are true to you.

Be Limitless

Stop limiting your self, seriously, it’s time to stop. Maybe today you can do one push-up but, you know what, next week you may be able to do two. Never look at anything again as a stopping point. You may make it to the top of one mountain, but then there is the opportunity to climb an even bigger mountain. In this regard, I do not mean to say that you should never be satisfied. Always, always be proud of the progress you make, but do not limit yourself in your ability to push further if that is something you truly want. You need to have courage to push on and keep exceeding your own expectations or anyone else’s for that matter.

Your Opinion of You is All That Matters

Now is a great time to stop caring what other people think. Ok I get it, as much as any of us can say that we don’t care, we may never be able to one hundred percent not care how others perceive us. As humans we naturally want to be loved and accepted, but we tend to deny and hate the one person that matters the most, which is ourselves. What is essential is to stop letting it run your life. It is good to be conscious of how you are perceived but not to the extent that you change your true self. Be presentable but not controlled. If there are people who bring you negativity or are not adding value to your life, be brave enough to walk away. It does take bravery, it is not easy. Let go of all those opinions that others may have of you and don’t feed yourself the bullsh★t others may be feeding you. You know you and you should do you. Take in valuable feedback, but always remember you are in the driver seat of your life.

Overcome 

I am proud to say that I have overcome so much in the last few years (you can read my story in “Confessions of a so called shy girl”) and I am so looking forward to continuing that journey. Overcoming can come into play in many aspects of your life. You may have fears to overcome, heartbreak, something in your past, a loss or insecurities. As humans we all have things in our life that we can overcome. But too often then not, we give up or do not even try to overcome the hurdles in our life. You may also not even really realize that you have not gotten over something, but it is just sitting there affecting you though you can’t even see it. The way to find these issues in the first place is to really spend time with yourself. When you don’t take time to reflect on your feelings and why you may be feeling them, then you can never overcome them. Do not be afraid to spend time alone or seek help in the process. It takes more courage to admit the truth than to try to keep cover it up.

Let Sh★t Go

Holding on to something or harboring negativity can actually be the easy way out. Letting out real emotions, or seeking help in doing so, can take some real bravery. We all are fighting our own battles daily and maybe have demons that creep in on us. When you keep negativity locked up and don’t let things out it can affect you not only mentally, but take a physical toll on your body. Breathe, scream, do some hot yoga, vent to a friend or hire a therapist. Be brave and unashamed in doing whatever it is you need to do, in order to rid yourself of anything and everything that puts unwanted weight on your shoulders. Always choose to be the bigger person. If you harbor resentment or have unresolved issues with people, you are doing yourself more damage by leaving it be. There is no shame in apologizing or admitting when you are wrong, it is the brave thing to do.

Visualize, Then Do

Visualization is a really powerful thing. You must visualize positive results and talk to yourself about positive results. Dream big, say it with intention and most importantly actually do it. If you have been wanting a new job, stop complaining about your current one and go after a new one. If you don’t get the first, second or third job you apply for, be brave and don’t give up. Not trying or giving up is easy, courageously pushing on, that is what takes bravery. Visualize all aspects of your life in a positive light and you may be surprised of what actually comes to fruition.

Wear It Loud and Proud 

Be so proud of your bravery that others can’t help but catch it like the flu. Spread it around like creamy peanut butter by encouraging others to be f♥cking brave too. Be the kind of person that your friends feel comfortable being their goofy selves around, a person that people feel confident in confiding in and a person that celebrates the bravery in others without questioning their own. The other great thing is actually wearing your pride, not just on your sleeve, so to speak. My “Be F♥cking Brave” necklace inspires me every time I wear it. It may be three simple words, but it makes me feel powerful and proud of my bravery. I love seeing encouraging words like this on a vision board, on clothing and mostly, on my beautiful necklace. I chose these words and had them custom made. It’s my mantra, what pulls me through life and what I am most proud of becoming.

You can get your own “Be F♥cking Brave ” necklace by Bad Bad Jewelry HERE, and use the code BRAVE for a 10% discount. You can also check out their other badass pieces or create your own unique message on a piece of jewelry that makes you feel fierce and empowered. Check out all Bad Bad Jewelry has to offer, HERE. Don’t forget to follow them on instagram too, for all the inspiration @badbadjewelry.

I not only love this necklace, but I LOVE that Bad Bad encourages empowerment. Plus, the founder, Sarah, is f♥cking brave. She started this company in her living room and now ships to customers globally. To top it off she is all about inspiring other women, now that is f♥cking brave.

So, are you ready to be (or continue to be) f♥cking brave with me?! Lets show society who is boss by being brave enough to be ourselves, to stop looking at our uniqueness as “flaws,” realizing that we have full control of our future, understanding that our past does not define us and by always lifting others and ourselves. May you always be f♥cking brave!

Health, Love and Happiness,

Courtney