As an English teacher, I’ve written this post with the idea of being interactive because, like in my classroom, this is not about me—this is about you. So, if I ask you a question, just give me what you’ve got, okay? What does it mean to be brave? Now think about this next question: who are some brave people in your lives? Think about these people, what they’ve done, and how their actions align with your own definitions of bravery. Feel free to post your answers below!
Now, when I was asked to speak on the subject of bravery at the National Junior Beta Club Induction ceremony of a local elementary school, I freaked out a bit because I’m not a talker. What would I say? Would it be of any value? It’s too much pressure to impart wisdom on kids, blah blah blah. Despite all of the fears and doubts swirling around in my head, I realized the irony of the situation. Here I was, being asked to speak on bravery, when I wasn’t being very brave myself. I couldn’t help but laugh. And after laughing to myself, which albeit, is kind of strange (cue crazy eyes), I started to answer the very question I posed to you at the beginning: what does it mean to be brave? Such a tough question to answer, and I’m sure you are so much smarter than I am to come up with such great ideas on the spot. It took me a lot longer to come up with my ideas, so I’m going to share them with you day by day. Alright, so when thinking about what it means to be brave, I created an acronym that I hope will speak to you in the same way that it spoke to me. Today, we’ll start with the letter “b.”
Bold: Be bold, confident, and courageous. Be ready to take risks, dream big, and defy all the odds. Have you ever had dreams? I mean BIG dreams that keep you up at night or have you daydreaming during class (or at work). Don’t be afraid to turn those dreams into realities. But the only way you can do that is if you take risks, and step outside of the box. Stepping outside of the box can be so scary because it often means not following the crowd and doing things that aren’t super cool or trendy, but I promise you that if you dare to live your life boldly, you won’t regret it. When I was younger, I was made fun of because I talked differently, I listened to different music, and I always had a book in my hand. I could’ve let that stop me, but I didn’t because I knew that this was the way God made me, and He doesn’t make mistakes. So I chose to live life boldly, colorfully, confidently, and courageously, and I can honestly say I couldn’t have asked for a better life, and the crazy thing is it only gets better. This leads to me to the next point: be …
Kermit Says... 