My One Little Word (Phrase): Be BRAVE

"Take risks:  if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise."  -unknown 

It's 2015!  Really.  Can you believe it?

For the last few days I have tried to stay off of social media while I decided whether or not I was going to have One Little Word, an idea inspired by Ali Edwards, to shape my year.  Do I really want one more thing to think about?  Does it really make a difference?

Then I started to read Let's All Be Brave:  Living Life with Everything You Have by Annie F. Downs.  In it Annie asserts, "I'm going to ask you to be brave too, even if you, like me, don't take to it naturally.  I'm here to ask you to please do that thing in your heart that scares you to death."

In June of 2014 I was on my discovery journey when Brenda Power gave the book, A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger, to writers at a Choice Literacy writing retreat.  Then she asked us to find our own beautiful question.  I was a little surprised when my pen wrote, "What would I do if I wasn't afraid?"

This year, I want to be brave.  I've decided one word just doesn't work for me so I will be using the phrase "Be BRAVE" to guide my year.  I wanted my word be actionable so I have determined what it means to be brave using the letters and created this video for when I get a little worried about the next step:



Here's to being brave and a brand new year!  

Comments

  1. Love it Cathy! Although we have different words, we both got our words from books we are reading. A More Beautiful Question drove me to my word too. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2015 brings to you. I always thought you were pretty brave, so who knows what surprises you've got hidden away. :) Happy New Year friend!

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    1. Julie,
      ...and I always thought you were pretty quiet. ;o) A More Beautiful question was a great read. I actually almost made my word question, but knew that would only be because I like to think in questions. It really wouldn't have been a fair word choice for me....but what fun it would have been.

      Cathy

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  2. Beautiful video, inspiring, will hold you all the year, Cathy. I haven't written my post yet, but know what my word will be. Best wishes to you in 2015.

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  3. Ah, Cathy...this is good. I find that when I try those things that frighten me, I do feel not only that I have accomplished something...but I feel stronger. I still need to work on that word though...so thanks for writing about it.

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    1. Jackie,
      It is so true. We do feel stronger after working through the hard stuff and bravely stepping out on a limb. Always worth it in the end. Thanks for stopping by.

      Cathy

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  4. Oh be brave is opening so many doors. I can't wait to see where this takes you and the movie was very fun to watch! I think you have captured being brave already by riding a motorcycle. I have and learned to not wear shorts - bad burn in high school but back then being brave was so much easier. Happy returns to younger days. :)

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    1. Mandy,
      It was so much easier when we were younger. Hmmmm. How could we have thought we knew everything, yet feared nothing? Oh, youth.

      Cathy

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  5. LOVE your video! My students are going to create acrostics for their words, and I will show this to them. One of my students chose the word BRAVE, too!

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  6. Oh Cathy, your video was so moving.The music. The words. The photos.

    This spoke to me too "I was a little surprised when my pen wrote, "What would I do if I wasn't afraid?"

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