I recorded my latest podcast episode on January 20, 2021, also President Biden’s inauguration in the USA. I took a big risk and talked about my values, the political landscape of the USA, and also drew a thick line through dangerous sands.

I knew at the time I would say the wrong thing and I know now that I said the wrong thing. When I listened to the episode, there were places that I wanted to be more specific, more concrete. Other places that I wanted to edit out … I even asked my editor to take out a slot and she convinced me not to … and as I write this I want to just not send this.

<deep breath>

Why am I doing this?

With clarity and vulnerability and taking the risk of saying the wrong thing, we make space for the important conversations which leads to greater empathy, leadership, and compassion.

I’ve already gotten some feedback to this episode and I hope you will share yours as well. Say the wrong thing, inspire others, and celebrate this shift in phase.

Congrats y’all. The Work continues.

Question: Why is bravery a skill?

Answer: We are raised to think that we are either born brave or we aren’t. If that was true, all of our stories would die because … what else is the hero’s journey?

Then we are told that bravery is shown through intense moments: run into a burning building, crush the competition, go to war. Which is true but not the complete story. Just like in the quote above from Elizabeth Lesser, our current definition of BRAVE creates and holds up a huge lopsided imbalance that holds us all back.

Bravery is built in small moments — small moments of reaching deeper into clarity, taking uncomfortable action and learning, and doing that over and over and over again. BRAVE grows with each moment of shift: tending and befriending, asking a difficult question, offering help, accepting help, failing, and succeeding.

And the first step: embracing that bravery is a skill and you can build your BRAVE.