On Being Brave

Rocky says it best. I have always viewed Rocky Balboa as that wise friend who knows what is real and true, and is not afraid to let you know about it. A voice of reason. 

Here at Penn State I am taking a class called Positive Psychology And Wellbeing. I am loving it, to say the least. And so, our most recent class focused on the concept of resilience. What makes someone resilient and how can we all attain more of it? Well, I think that it comes down to this truth: the human experience is made up of not what happens to us but rather how we interpret it. This is powerful and timely, especially during this year of 2020. While it is no secret to any of us that 2020 has brought its own unique set of challenges, let us think beyond this year. Take a moment to think about your life thus far and the direction you want it to go in moving forward. It is a universal truth that life is full of challenges. Both good and bad, exciting and scary- but they are challenges nonetheless. And it is in our reaction to those challenges that our resilience takes shape.

Resilience to me, is the ability to not only deflect, but embrace the challenges that life throws. When we do this, we are able to achieve a state of thriving through the challenge. Growing through what we are going through. And hey, we all face challenges, doubts, and obstacles. That is guaranteed in the package of life. But it is in how we react that sets the thrivers apart from the survivors. It is in the day to day decisions to get back up and keep pushing towards our potential no matter how trying it is. The easy route that many take only leads to a disappointing destination. A destination of mediocrity and contentment. Life is meant to be so much more than that! As Mel Robbins, the #1 Female Motivational Speaker says, “you were born not to be just fine”. She is right. You were born to experience everything that life has to offer. The amazing, the great, the good, the bad, and the downright challenging. But it is in our experiences that we become who we are. If life was easy all of the time, it would in fact be very boring. There would be no growing, no stretching, no reaching for the highest version of ourselves.

We have the power to decide the moments and the people that we let enter our space. While we do not always have control of the situations around us, we always have control of the situation within us- the state in which we are operating. We either come from a place of thriving through challenge and adversity, or giving up and giving into it. If we make that first choice, the one to stand up bravely in the face of life, we will open the door to success, happiness, and continual personal development.

When we find the beauty in the challenges of life, we appreciate the beauty in the times when everything seems to flow with ease. But as Rocky also said, “if you know what you’re worth, go out and get what you’re worth”. You are worth it. Now go and take life and get every experience out of it that you can. And be brave.

I will leave you with this. Rocky always seems to know just the thing to say….