Writer's Workshop: Brave

This week, I am choosing the prompt: 3.) Write a post inspired by the word: brave. I was tempted to choose 2.) The first concert you ever attended (Madonna, when I was 9) or 5.) First crush (Indiana Jones... er... Harrison Ford... if that even counts), but I thought I needed to do this one this time.

If I could overcome my fear of heights and climb this, I should be able to do anything. Or so I like to think.

Some of my favorite people from history have been those that have spoken their minds, and stood up for others who did not have a voice. Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Cesar Chavez, suffragettes, other civil rights leaders. The list could go on and on. They helped change the course of this world, and I admire their courage.

They would stand up for rights so controversial that they would risk (and in some cases, lose) their lives. And yet I look at myself and see someone who cannot speak my mind even to people with whom I am close. Although, I don't really feel that close to anyone, and it's probably because of this lack of real honesty.

Constantly afraid of others' opinions about me, I have always been one to go out of my way to make others happy. I say what I think they want to hear, act the way I think I am supposed to act, and make all the choices in my life based on what I think other people want me to do. And I am getting it wrong.

It hasn't gained me acceptance. It's done nothing more than make me feel awkward, confused, frustrated, lonely, and unable to relate to others or fit in. I've forgotten who I really am.

There's a line in the Fun. song, "Some Nights," that always stops me: "I try twice as hard and I'm half as liked." Exactly.

That's not to say that I don't like being nice to others. I never want to hurt anyone, and I feel that we should respect others. But there's a line. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself, or at least express yourself.

In Sara Barellis' new song, "Brave," she challenges us to do just this. I love this song, because it says exactly what I am trying to do at this stage of my life.

Don't run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave 

I'm working on it.

PS: As I was writing this article, I saw this. Apparently Donnie Wahlberg was on the same wavelength today. :)