In the next Inspire series post, we are looking at bravery. ‘You are strong. You are brave. You can do this’ has been my mantra for a long time. There are times in everyone’s lives when we have to step outside of our comfort zone or cope with something which seems too big. I use this mantra in times of fear and overwhelm.

In times of fear, it is easy to take the safe option or to run in the other direction but this often leaves you in exactly the same place as before and can result in you feeling disappointed and frustrated. It’s at exactly this point when you need to remind yourself of how strong and brave you really are deep down (because it’s at this time when you don’t believe it). Think of all the times you’ve faced your fears and summoned all your bravery and strength and taken that step out of your comfort zone to use as evidence. I often find repeating this mantra really helps to change my mindset and get in touch with the inner strength and bravery that we all innately have. Even though it’s often very hard and uncomfortable, by facing the fear or taking that step (or nudge!) outside of your comfort zone, it can move you forward and take you to a different place and the feeling afterwards is almost euphoric because you did it! Be sure to take a moment to acknowledge how well you did.

On the flip side, if you don’t manage to face the fear this time, be kind with yourself and don’t berate yourself. If it does feel too much and too difficult, I often try to make the situation more manageable in some way to help reduce my fear and make it seem less daunting in my mind. This could involve taking someone with you, having a pre-agreed leaving time so you know the end is in sight, agreeing to try something for half an hour and then deciding whether you want to stay or whatever makes it more manageable for you, depending on the situation.

The other times I use this mantra is during times of overwhelm. We’ve all been in a situation where something feels too big to get through or too hard to deal with. For me, this was the diagnosis of my chronic illness, which at the time seemed huge and life changing and far too much to deal with. However, once the initial shock wore off, I remembered that I had already faced many things in my life which proved that I was very brave and very strong and that I could actually do this and fight it positively and with strength. There will always be bad days when we doubt ourselves and feel overwhelmed, but I find by encouraging a change in our mindset and using a mantra to remind us of the truth, we can start to embody those feelings of strength and bravery.

What little steps can you take to step out of your comfort zone by harnessing your bravery and strength?

READ MORE OF MY BLOG HERE.

SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER

A POCKET FULL OF ACORNS