Dear Courage, I would like to invite you over for dinner.

I do not know why I am thinking so much these days about being brave and having courage to do the things that I believe in. Perhaps it is because I am on the verge of closing one chapter of my life and as I am doing so I am prepping myself to begin writing the next.

Not too long ago I was reading a post that Michael Hyatt wrote on having courage. In this particular post he shared six steps to finding the courage you need to swim against the tide (tide being difficult situations) and pursue greatness in your projects as a leader. If you have not heard of Michael I suggest you look him up. He is a great writer and shares some very inspiring thoughts on leadership.

Anyway, since Michael shard his steps and thoughts with me (as well as a few thousand other followers) I thought I would share with you the ones that I have found to be most beneficial in my pursuit of bravery and courage, not just in leadership but in my everyday life. And as always, my very intelligent and insightful commentary will follow. har-har.

1. Take a stand for greatness in your life-I am so lucky to have the friends that I do. My favorite thing to do with them is sit around and brainstorm ways that we are going to benefit the world and discover our souls (shout out to Venture!) Who knows if any of the things that we talk about will ever come to pass but one thing that I have come to realize as we talk and as I watch my future unfold is that I can not just seek out greatness for the world but I also need to seek out greatness for my life. That’s right. I want to have a great life. I dream of doing amazing things, I talk about doing amazing things but rarely do I believe that those amazing things will be a daily part of my life. I want to have great things happen in my life so I am going to take a stand for that greatness- believing everyday that it is possible. I feel stronger already!

2. Connect with the original vision- Michael Hyatt quoted an awesome scripture here: “Without vision the people perish” (Prov. 29:18) It is so true! Sometimes I get so caught up with the big picture and the overall outcome that I’m working towards that I forget to be in the moment and remember why I am doing what I am doing. Sometimes it is necessary to say, “Hold up, wait a minute…” close your eyes and reconnect with your original vision. If the vision is gone more than likely your excitement/passion/momentum will be gone shortly.

3. Listen to your heart- I think this one speaks for itself. My heart knows what’s up. In my heart I know what I want and I know what is right. You know that feeling you get when you just know? Some call it intuition but I think it is God using our hearts as a wireless telephone. If you’re brave enough to listen to your heart, and to God, then you will be brave enough to do a lot of other things.

4. Be stubborn- This is my favorite one. It is also the most difficult one, I think. Being courageous requires that you never back down. When you know what you want you should pursue it with all the gusto that you have. Some people will try to discourage you, maybe because they have your “best” interest in mind or maybe because they are jealous of your awesomeness, but even when those circumstances arise you have to be stubborn and go for the gold.

What are some ways that you pursue courage?

Are You Brave Or Are We Brave Together?

Last night I was riding the train from NYC to upstate where my dad lives. My iPhone was dead so I couldn't listen to music or browse Twitter and it was dark outside so I couldn't stare blankly out of the window. So naturally I decided to take this "free" time and talk to God. I always keep a notebook in my purse incase I need to write stuff down and more times that not this notebook gets filled with snippets of thoughts and ideas that I have as well as lists of scriptures followed by my own personal commentary.

On the 1.5-hour train ride home I had plenty of time so I pulled out my notebook and began to read through some very encouraging scriptures. As I read the dated entries I noticed something that sparked a question in my mind having to do with bravery.

About a year ago I attended a Women's Conference in Dallas. Normally I'm not the kind of person that would dig an event like this (too many women in one room give me the shakes) but I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had. At this conference there was a chocolate fountain, a dance party, and I got to hang with a bunch of my friends...It was kind of like being at a club. Anyways, during the course of that weekend the word bravery really stuck in my mind and I began praying about all of the areas of my life that require me to be brave. I remember having that anxious feeling that I get when I know I am going to have to make changes and lean completely on God for a strength that surpasses all understanding. I even wrote down several really inspiring scriptures that had me all pumped up to go out and be the next world changer. It all made sense; God was prepping me for something huge. Who knew, I was probably about to be "called" to Africa and asked to drop everything and leave everyone I know to go minister to the poor and sick.

Then life happened.

About six months ago my life took an unexpected, yet strangely expected, turn in a direction that I was not hoping for. As is the human way, I had begun to map out my future but I was strangely discontent with the direction I was leading myself. Big surprise, huh? I remember while in a moment of despair asking God to tell me what I needed to do and to give me the bravery I needed to do it. Then a lot of things changed and I had to take several deep breaths and decide whether I was going to collapse or keep moving forward. I remember hearing this question very clearly in mind, "Jessica, are you brave or are we brave together?" God was asking me in that moment if I was going to be brave on my own (aka-collapse) or if I was going to allow him to fill me up with the kind of bravery that doesn't falter, his bravery. In that time God confirmed what I already knew to be true- that I serve a God who gives me not just brute strength but glorious inner strength. It was one of the most magical times of my life.

On the train as I was reading through my notebook I was reliving several of these memories and I began to wonder what it would have been like if I had closed the gap between the time that God was speaking to me at the conference and when he was speaking to me only a few months ago. Would I have saved myself from some pain, some unhappy moments? Would I be all the wiser, the braver? Nobody can really know.

What I do know is this: I am wimpy, I am shy, I do not like conflict, and I do not like not knowing what is next or when things are going to happen. However, I've learned that God has made a safe place for me. In this place I can trust him to give me a boldness, a strength, a sort of bravery that should make me proud to travel through hardships, trial, and uncertainty because I know that through this bravery and boldness comes freedom.

And when we live in the freedom that God has for us-

everything changes.