Bravery

I've been thinking this morning about some acts of Bravery I have witnessed in the past week. A couple of them I was able to be present for in person, and a couple of them I received through another person's first-hand experience who shared the stories with me. Some of the settings were similar, but some of them were unique. However, what each of them had in common was a person choosing to stand up in the face of opposition and speak their truth and their perspective with a significant amount of Bravery.  They were careful not to be argumentative or demeaning, but they also didn't back away from being clear and direct about their convictions. I was impressed and took note of their acts of Bravery.

And then this morning I was listening to a new book on leadership someone recommended to me, Wolfpack, by Abby Wambach. As I was listening, something significant hit me that made these acts of Bravery stand out even more - they were all accomplished by women! It dawned on me that as a white man in modern, western culture, these acts of Bravery by these women were noticeable to me, but I don't think I truly recognized (or probably even can recognize to be honest) the amount of Bravery that was required for them to act and speak up. Hearing from Abby's personal experiences reminded me of my privilege, and it also highlighted the contrast between what I thought was simple Bravery, to something more like Extraordinary Bravery.  It made me appreciate even more these various acts I witnessed in the past week.

I realize that I run some risk for pointing all of this out from my perspective as a white male in Western culture, but I also feel deeply compelled to say from that position how grateful I am for the example these women set for me, and for all of us, in the past week. They took risks and stood up and used their voices to speak from their hearts in situations that would have required Bravery from anyone, but that required an extra measure of Bravery given their circumstances. They invited me and everyone who was present to their acts (if they were willing to listen to them and not just be dismissive) to take notice of their perspective and give it consideration because they were willing to be Brave. 

Where have you witnessed Bravery in the past week and how could you acknowledge and thank that person for their Bravery? How might something from your own perspective of privilege gotten in the way of you noticing some extraordinary Bravery, and what could you do to use your perspective to take better notice of it? In what ways might these acts of Bravery help inspire you to act with greater Bravery in your own life? Where might you need to find your own voice and stand up and speak your truth? 

I'm so grateful for the examples I have been able to witness and learn from this week.  Here's to all of us celebrating Bravery when we see it, and acting with Bravery when we need to!

Be Well,

Stephen

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