#DarlyFacesFears: The Deeper Courage

photo by the dearest Alicia Fish (@darlingduckie)

When he told me that I was a coward for being scared to go rafting (see a couple posts ago, yikes), it shook me. I never thought it was a big deal to pass on experiences that scare me (and there are many). Confused, I confided in a friend who then responded, "Does he not know what you've done? Does he not know what you've overcome?"

The most courageous women I know aren't jumping out of planes, rafting down rapids, fighting bad guys, etc. They're the ones who face their pain head on, and keep going. They're the ones that keep showing up, even when they can’t see an inch ahead of them. They're the ones who know that pain is a tunnel and not a cave (thank you Natalie Norton for that insight!). They keep on going, having hope for the end of that tunnel, knowing it will come.

A dear friend of mine, at the beginning of working through her own deep trauma years ago, decided to do something that scared her every day. Sometimes it was reaching out to a person she admired, running a distance further than she’d ever run before, or doing humanitarian work in a foreign country. Big or small, she did it. As she did those acts of courage, she gained back the confidence that had been shaken, and probably more! Those daily acts of courage were part of her emotional recovery. They were part of her discovering within herself that she could get to the end of that tunnel.

Yes, I rafted. Yes, I’m doing things that scare me, but when I look back at this past year, the bravest thing I’ve done is to say no—to finally close a door, and to keep it closed despite painful and manipulative backlash. I cried for days. I had to seek validation from every gal pal to remind me that I was doing the right thing. And then, finally, the chaos that I had let invade my life for years finally calmed. I let go.

Courage.

This month, face your fears. Get out of your comfort zone. Internally or externally, whatever it may be for you, I encourage you to do it. Because when we let go of our fears, we create more space for beauty and light in our lives. So let’s do this.

Love, Allie

*This month, face a fear and share your experience on Instagram, with hashtag #darlyfacesfears, and you will be entered to win a $100 gift card to Darlybird!