Annie F. Downs On How To Unlock Your Most Courageous Self

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My takeaways:

‘Courage is doing things even when you’re scared. Being brave isn’t something that happens when you’re not scared anymore. Brave people don’t stop hearing the whispers of fear. They hear the whispers but take action anyway.’

‘Being brave is hearing that voice of fear in your head, but saying, ‘okay, but the truth is, God made me on purpose and for a purpose.’

‘I never felt brave. But day after day, I just did the next thing, took the next step, said the next yes.’

‘The moment you take that first step, little seeds of courage begin to sprout in your heart.’

‘It’s hard to believe truth if your mind is flooded with confusion and false stories.’

‘While I am making mistakes, I am not a mistake.’

‘Our God, the One who is breathing life into your life, is full of love for you- no matter what.’

‘One of the truest ways to glorify God with your feet is to lead.’

‘Everything depends on the working of the mind.’

‘Speaking kindly to yourself will make you brave.’

‘If we are each unique as the Bible says we are, then our calls to courage are each equally unique.’

‘Even when you feel alone, you actually aren’t.’

‘Prayer is this amazing opportunity to connect directly with the greatest Being who has always been.’

‘You are deeply loved and called to be courageous by a God who is perfect and perfectly trustworthy.’

‘When you spend time with God and immerse yourself in the truth of His World, you will easily notice the lies and the things you hear in your head that aren’t really you.’

‘Sometimes we can be doing our thing, walking, praying that we are in alignment with God’s will, and we’ll come to a closed door.’

‘Your heart is precious, your dreams should only be shared with a few close friends, and you should love well but carefully.’

‘Your calling, the thing God has placed in you for the good of the planet and the good of your heart, isn’t going anywhere.’

‘Jobs will come and go. Your calling won’t.’

‘Do what is right in front of you. If your dream is to someday be the president of your company, don’t show up late to work every day now as an employee.’

‘What’s cool about your calling is that there are no dead ends. Even if you weren’t brave enough to pursue your last opportunity, you can be brave this time.’

‘Hardly anyone goes from realizing their dreams to discovering their calling to getting to do their perfect dream job.’

‘We’ve to be brave enough to find balance.’

‘Friendship takes work. Friendship takes courage.‘

‘You need to be brave and let people get close enough to speak into your life.’

‘It takes bravery to put yourself out there and ask someone to give you some of his or her wisdom.’

‘If there are seeds of courage living in all of us, waiting to bloom, words are the sun and the water that cheer on those seeds to their fullness.’

‘Brave people are willing to let go of everything as they hold tight to God, even when things start to change.’

‘A little yes can be a step in the right direction, even if it isn’t a leap.’

‘Little yeses lead to big yeses.’

‘Say yes to the situations that stretch you and scare you and ask you to be a better you than you think you can be.’

‘A lot of courageous noses make for some beautiful brave yeses.’

‘Life is full of waiting seasons, and you can brave out the wait and do it well. Be brave enough to be patient- not just outwardly, but inwardly.’

‘Brave people are okay with change because they remember that change is for our good.’

‘You can be sad. You can be angry. You can be confused. But you don’t ever have reason to despair.’

‘When you know who loves you, you know your safe places. You know where you can rest. You know where you can go when you fail.’

‘Failing doesn’t make you a failure. Trying something new makes you brave.’

‘Please don’t let fear win.’

‘When someone else knows, it’s better.’

‘Darkness can’t hang around when it’s exposed in the light.’

‘Perseverance builds character.’

‘Don’t quit! You’re on a journey.’

‘There are times when God’s going to take you through surgery, not because He wants to hurt you, but because He wants to heal you.’

‘Discipline is the work done on the practice field so you are ready for the big game.’

‘Your body was meant to move; it was not meant to be still.’

‘You won’t meet your goals if you burn out.’

‘We have two options when we use our words: we can build or we can destroy.’

‘You have to love yourself to love others well.’

‘Living for self? That’s easy. Living like everything you have is God’s (because it is)? That’s brave.’

‘Brave people speak love into the lives of others.’

‘Your resources should make an impact wherever you go.’

‘You can be brave enough to see those people around you, rather than just passing by.’

‘Courage isn’t just for mighty warriors. It’s for you (because you are becoming courageous).’

‘Making brave choices in your life is going to change the world. At the least, it will change your world.’

Source

Annie F. Downs (2017). 100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self

When Is It Too Late To Start Again?

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Everything is different. We are different. Our dreams are different. Our futures are going to be different.

Whether we are different or not, our dreams know no age. Whatever you want to do with your life, you are capable of making it happen. If you are willing to do the work, really do the work, then you can reap the fruit.

Whether you are young or old, you are still responsible for your ideas. Because ideas are just ideas. They are not going to change your life if you do not have the courage to go out there and make them work for you, not against you.

When it comes to selling your ideas, when it comes to doing great things, when it comes to living your life to the fullest, when it comes to achieving your dreams, it is never too late. No matter where you are starting from, you can make things happen for you.

Whether you have a lot of money or not, you can make your dreams happen if you do not give up on yourself, if you do not give up on your dreams, and if you do not forget who you are. It is never too late to change the direction of your life. It is never too late to start unlearning your old habits. It is never too late to try again.

People don’t try because they don’t want to look stupid. They don’t want to fail. They don’t even believe in themselves. Some have accepted their status quo as final. Others are still thinking about what other people are saying about them.

Yes, it is okay to feel insecure a little bit. But do not let your own insecurity becomes your own roadblock. Do not feed your insecurity. Do not feed your fears. Instead, challenge yourself by doing something about what you are scared of. Because if you do not face your fear, it will never leave you alone. You must keep going.

If you want to go back to school, no matter your age, you can do it. Start with a single class. Meet with people who are like you, who want the same thing, and who are willing to hang in there until they get comfortable with it.

If you want to open a small business, no matter your age, you can do it. You do not need an MBA to do this. All you need is you, your mindset- how you think about yourself and the world around you.

If you have tried before and it didn’t work, you can do it again. Get over what happened to you in the past. Remember, ‘every day is a fresh start.’ Yes, this time, you are going to do some things differently. If this is your case, you will do really well when you embrace your past mistakes as learning opportunities, not as setbacks.

If you really want to take your idea to your own next level, then you must stop thinking about your biological age. You must put aside what other people are saying about you. You must ignore other people’s opinions, do what matters to you, follow your heart, and never stop living your life.

Because it is too late when you say it is, not when the world says it is.