Here’s the thing about bravery, it doesn’t usually feel like bravery at all. Brave people doing brave things aren’t usually thinking to themselves Look at how brave I am! As a matter of fact, they are usually scared to death, white knuckling through the situation chanting I think I can, I think I can, I think I can… Bravery won’t always feel like bravery. It oftentimes feels like walking on Legos in the dark – painful with no end in sight.
This means you may not know that you are operating in bravery until you look back on your situation in hindsight. Bravery usually comes from doing small things in the face of danger and fear, or it could mean doing a heroic thing in a split second. You can psych yourself out to be brave and take a leap of faith – like leaping off a bridge on a bungee, or you can realize looking backward that what you accomplished was something out of the ordinary that in the natural you wouldn’t have thought you could do. Both are proof of bravery.
Don’t judge yourself when you are going through difficult times
Asking yourself if you are being brave during a difficult time won’t do you any favors. You likely won’t know for sure. Rather, focus on tasks or traits and make sure you are making the most of your actions and resources along the way. Feeling nervous, scared, intimidated, and unsure are normal during difficult times, so you may not see yourself as brave in the moment.
Don’t judge yourself and start thinking you’re not doing enough or doing things well. If you’re giving it your best and trying everything you can to manage the situation, you’re doing fine! Keep going. Soon you’ll be to the other side.
Give yourself time to recover and learn how brave you’ve been
Bravery is often discovered in hindsight. When things calm down and the worst is over you can see the signs of how brave you were and how brave you’ve become. Be sure to celebrate your wisdom and how courageous your efforts have been. Be proud of yourself and know that you did what it took to get through a very difficult time even if you felt like a mess the whole way through.
Being brave isn’t always obvious but doing the right thing in the face of fear…and sometimes danger… is very brave. Don’t diminish the triumphant ways you’ve handled difficult times. Be proud of yourself and take this newfound bravery into everyday life where the new skills are sure to serve you well.
