After a speaking gig in Houston years ago, we drove down to Galveston to spend a little time near the Gulf. Our daughter Lucy, almost four years old at the time, waded in the water, immersed in a game she liked to call “tricking the waves.” Kim commented on how much deeper she was willing to go compared to just a few months earlier when we were in Florida.
Now, Lucy didn’t go diving headfirst into the surf or anything, but she didn’t need to. She was being, as I like to say, “just brave enough.”
I spent a lot of my childhood being afraid. I was afraid of new experiences. Of meeting new people. Of the unknown. Of drowning. Of looking stupid. Of the future. Of being a colossal failure in life. I was afraid of “the thunder, the lightning, and the firetrucks.”
Over the years, my faith has helped me deal with much of that fear, but it’s still a part of my life. It is for all of us.
There have been many moments in my life when I have been afraid and like Susan Jeffers advises, “felt the fear and did it anyway.” Those brief moments of bravery have increased my resistance to fear. Like Lucy, after I went a little deeper, my new position didn’t seem all that deep anymore.
I’ve always been drawn to quotes about fear, courage, and bravery. The following quote comes from the movie “We Bought a Zoo,” and I had to jot it down as soon as I heard it:
“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
–Matt Damon in We Bought a Zoo
I don’t know about you, but to me, there is great comfort in remembering that I don’t have to be brave and courageous every minute of my life.
Twenty seconds here and there will do.
I love that idea – just brave enough. I’m going to write hat somewhere, because I’m travelling solo at the moment and there are a lot of things I get scared of (flying, jabs, being a girl alone in big cities), but I would never want to let it stop me having these great experiences.
I like the Game of Thrones quote:
“Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?”
“That is the only time a man can be brave.”
Bran & Ned
Happy to offer up some inspiration, Katy. Thanks for sharing some additional inspiration with that great quote!
Thanks Jason, I can relate your post. thanks for sharing your personal experience and view of life. But living in fear is challenging to be brave courageous enough to overcome such fears. Fear is just all in the mind, should overcome this. You are smart in reading quotes of fears to understand more how and what you are feeling, but there is always hope to overcome such. Testimonies of others help conditioning our mindset to crash down those blocking fears on our way to go on swiftly with courage in our heart, mind and spirit. :) , But your post helps… :)