There’s a buzz in the world about women and bravery. About being bold and asserting ourselves. Let’s be careful here: bravery doesn’t inherently lead to boldness! It leads to clarity. Let’s look at this dynamic, an essential experience within the water element.
Our first, intelligent response to fear, our very natural experience of fear, as a child, is to control outcomes. Our first strategy working with fear is to control – and it’s a darn good one. Yet, as we grow, we discover that this strategy of control limits our world. It doesn’t facilitate growth.
So, how do we respond to fear in a manner that facilitates growth? We become brave, and develop a strategy of bravery. And what is bravery? Bravery is our willingness to step into a situation because it Might produce good outcomes. Perhaps even Better outcomes than the status quo. We trust, knowing we might fail. So, bravery accommodates the potential for failure.
However, what are we going for in this courageousness? We’re going for clarity, knowing more clearly and accurately how we really are and how things really are. With clarity, we can access a host of ways of being: it might be boldness, patience, kindness, speaking out, staying quiet, gathering more information, asserting our truth, etc. With clarity we develop our capacity to see what skill and/or action is going to continue to foster our growth. With this clarity, we can choose how Best to proceed on our path of growth.
Let’s not burden women with some expectation that we all need to be kick-ass people all the time, or even any of the time if that’s how our path of growth unfolds. Let’s empower ourselves with clarity: knowing what’s important for us when and why. Sometimes bravery means we sit and read a book. Or go for a walk. Or pause when challenged. Or speak up.