I saw a book a couple months ago and loved the title. 100 Days To Brave by Annie Downs. The title spoke to me. I’ve been looking for a book with short, inspiring passages to read each morning while I drink my Bulletproof Coffee. It seemed like a strong way to start a new day. So I ordered it from Amazon. Shortly after it arrived, I started reading it one morning and had a slight pause. I was looking for inspiration, not religion…and God is all over this book. But I didn’t return it…

I grew up in a Catholic family. For fourteen years, I went to church services every Sunday. I went to a Catholic school through sixth grade and then CCD classes. I’m familiar with God as he was a big part of my childhood. The reason that attending church only lasted fourteen years was I started to ask a lot of questions and develop logical reasoning for myself. The religion just wasn’t making a lot of sense to me anymore. My religious journey didn’t end there. I sought the community of a congregation in different places where I’d lived throughout my life. I loved how people came together with shared beliefs and the singing was one of my favorite parts. But still, I had so many questions. Organized religion just isn’t for me as much as I desired the ability to have blind faith. So I will admit, I wasn’t sure this book would be for me either. But I do want to find courage…

So I decided to give it a shot. As I’ve done most of my life, I will take from the religious writings what works for me. I may not hold true Catholic beliefs in a Holy Trinity but I do feel there is something bigger than us, something guiding us, a force, an energy…I don’t know what but I think there is something more to life than we can currently understand. Some people choose to call that something “God” and I’m okay with that. For me, I’m going to put god in my pocket as I move on to explore how to find a bit more bravery in my own life.

Day 1: What is Brave?
Like all good quests, this one starts out with a question. And a great reminder that bravery and courage isn’t the absence of fear – but taking action when the fear is present.

“Courage is doing things even when you’re scared.”
I’ve felt a lot of fear in my life and in far too many situations, I gave in to that fear and didn’t take action. That has led to countless regrets. Focusing on all that I missed out on and all the times when I wasn’t brave often has led me in a downward spiral. It is because I no longer wish to live this way that I have allowed this book to come into my life. The fear will always be there but I want to get busy living in spite of it.

And so the 100 days begin…