Be Brave
A very good friend of mine posted a meme on social media today that read, “Be brave”; right after I had just watched Sara Bareilles’ music video called, “Brave”, for the umpteenth time. This friend of mine has become like a sister to me, from a different bloodline (sister from another mister, as I like to say) over the past year. I don’t know if it’s because of our connection that we often think alike, or if it’s because we think alike, that we are connected. It doesn’t matter, really but I always find it intriguing when we both get the same messages. And, when we do, I am inevitably, inspired to write something about these messages. In fact, the last message I received; about fixing our focus, came after interactions with both she, and her brother. Which only served as confirmation that it was just as important to write about. So, I began, as I always do; with quiet reflection to guide me to the root of the message.
What I received in this place of quiet, meditative stillness is this; be strong, be courageous, be brave. You are not alone; you’ve got back up. Someone’s got your six. Let your voice be heard, as long as it’s speaking truth and your words, meaningful. Stand up, speak; for you and for others. Especially when it is coming from a place of goodness and love. Do not stand up and speak up with malice or violence; as this only serves as a prideful method of proving others wrong or putting others down. Instead, speak up to build others up. Use your words wisely and lovingly, because the tongue has the power of life and death. A soothing tongue has the tree of life. A perverse tongue; obstinate, corrupt and wicked tongue, has the power to crush the spirit. If you are truly brave, your messages will come from love; the words will be divinely inspired, and will have the power of life, instead of death. Your words will soothe, instead of crushing someone’s spirit. If you speak up and stand up, do it to help someone else, first. Someone who cannot help themselves; or who needs a push to stand up or speak up for themselves. Don’t let others fight their battles, alone.
Being alone for seven years has taught me that we aren’t meant to be completely alone. We are better, stronger, and braver with the help of our fellowships and our tribes. That being so, it’s our fellowship’s and our tribe’s responsibility to us, and to one another to help us to speak up, and stand up. It is our responsibility to help one another to face and endure danger or pain; to help them to be brave. We are all connected; we are all a piece of the same puzzle and part of the same body. We all have our own individual purposes, but we all serve one common purpose; which means, we need one another to fulfill this purpose. We need one another to spread light and exhibit love. If one of us hurts the other, it is our responsibility to call them out and help the one who was hurt.
We need to be brave and model bravery for others so that we can stop darkness, pain and hurt from being spread, in place of that light and love that we are meant to spread. The opposite of bravery; fear, cowardice, and reticence. Reticence, defined in part, by Collins English Dictionary, as, “to be silent or not to speak freely. The absolute polar opposite of what bravery means. To not stand up or speak up; whereas, bravery is to do just that. Stand up, speak up. We cannot model reticence. We cannot be fearful and full of cowardice. We need to be brave; for ourselves and for others, if we want our lives, and this world to be filled with love. If we want to maintain that connection with our fellowships, our communities and our tribes, we need to speak up; against injustice, against hatred, against hypocrisy, against everything that goes against what Love truly looks like.
And to do this, rightly all we need to do is be brave. Start, where you are, with what you have, and with the knowledge that someone has your back, try; try to be brave. And once you’ve succeeded in doing just that, model this bravery. Spread love and light everywhere you go; stand up and speak up, for yourself and for others. Through love.