An Open Letter to Women Who Want More Courage

Hello, darling,

Sometimes I think about the bravest thing I’ve ever done. (It’s a doozie.) And when I do, the heroine in the story is this valiant dragon-fighting princess. (The Paperbag Princess, anyone?) She knew what needed to be done in the moment, she summoned the courage and executed.

I know it wasn’t that simple because I lived the whole story, but a lot of details seemingly escape me until I try really hard to remember them. The detail about how my hands shook when I spoke. The detail about how hard I cried when it was over – simply because my system was overwhelmed with the emotional release. The detail about how much I dragged my feet, and how it’s possible I wouldn’t have moved forward if it weren’t for the people cheering me on. And to be honest, more than their cheering, it was my fear of disappointing my well-wishers that kept me pressing forward.

So why choose bravery again?

Why not simply summon bravery when it’s needed and go on living the rest of my life on safe ground? Safe ground seems reasonable. It is secure, predictable and non-confrontational.

I’ve spent a handful of years sticking to safe ground. And when I do, I find there are parts of myself missing. It seems to me the truest parts of myself – the ones that when they’re uncovered make me feel fully-alive – require bravery. I suspect it’s because they’re so intimately true to my identity, any rejection in these areas feels precarious. Or, maybe if I’m really honest, rejection in these areas feels truly detrimental, like it could break me from the inside out.

So then I’m hanging in the balance between feeling truly alive or risking detriment.

At MOPS this year, we’re daring to reach into our reserves of courage to live authentically. We’re pressing into the belief what the world needs is for us to live our truest story, to embrace our passions, to fight for integrity, for us to take small steps in positive directions. And most importantly, we’re doing it together. Because what we’ve found is that courage births courage. When someone shares their courage, it makes us both a little bit stronger.

This month on Hello, Darling, we’re talking all about courage. Moms are going to share what bravery means to them. Moms are going to share their most courageous moments. And, in general, we’re going to encourage each other to live into the fullest, truest, most vibrant version of your story.

We hope you’ll join us on our journey into bravery.

Heart,
Jackie Alvarez
Executive Managing Editor

PS. Those super cute Be you, Bravely shirts are restocked in the MOPShop so we can wear our brave together.