As I write to you I am in Pittsburgh. We drove across the country from our home in the Denver, Colorado area. Over three days we drove across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, took in a little slice of West Virginia, and then coasted into Pittsburgh.

Did I mention that being in a car for any time at all isn’t in my list of top 30 things to do?

And of course a single mom with three kids putting herself through school isn’t flying anywhere. So every vacation was a … you guessed it: car trip.

As an adult living in Germany, I relished train rides, bus rides, bike rides, even walking to move from point A to point B. For years I didn’t have or need a car. Then I had a car that I used a few times a week.

Then I had a kid and … I built an appreciation for the ease of a car.

Yet, this three-day car trip that spanned eight states was enjoyable. It bordered on easy (…did I just curse our trip home in a few weeks?)

The biggest difference, the most significant decision that made it almost-easy was made before we even got in the car.

All four of us decided and agreed that this car trip was going to be “good.”

Then we packed the car; loaded up the 9 year old, the 7 year old, the 2 year old dog; made sure we had coffee, water, snacks; and then started the car ride we had already decided was going to be good.

I share this because: if being trapped in a car with four humans and a dog for three days doesn’t sound HARD to you, awesome.

Even having just completed it less than a week ago, I am convinced that it is REALLY HARD.

But it wasn’t.

Because BRAVE doesn’t need to be hard.

You can decide that getting your voice out into the world is simple. You can decide that someone in the world is ready and waiting to hear your voice. Then you can step into your BRAVE and use your unique experiences, insights to fill your voice and inspire others.

BRAVE doesn’t need to be hard.

You can decide right now that you have balance in your life and how that looks, sounds, tastes, feels specifically for you. Then you make one choice, and then another choice, and then another choice and make it so right now, in this exact moment.

BRAVE can be simple, even easy.

My podcast this week is called, “Brave Doesn’t Need to Be Hard.”

I’m super passionate about this one and I share specific examples and inspiration and I issue a challenge:

What if the feeling of BRAVE is the stretch, the tingle, of stepping into your awesome?

What if that is true for you? What changes? What becomes easier? What becomes more exciting? What can you then just release and let go?

For me, I know that I can let go of control and knowing exactly when the next potty break is going to be. I know that I can embrace way more snacks. I know that I become the mom who can let the kids enjoy the car ride in their own, unique ways.

Listen to the podcast and thank you for rating and reviewing so that more people can join our movement to Celebrate BRAVE. 

#BraveItUp,

Nicole

PS – if you are ready to be seen, heard, and taken seriously as a woman in tech, start with my

to get clear about your BRAVE strengths and your areas to build.