Brave

I like this line "your history of silence won't do you any good, did you think it would" from the song Brave by Sara Bareilles.  There is another line in the song that speaks to waiting for permission to decide, to speak.  I remember being in the second of five of CTI's core curriculum courses. I said something I thought was clever and one of the leaders was standing close by. My hope was that she too would think it clever and I said as much when I told her I had made the comment because she was standing within ear shot. She looked me in the eye and said "you are not in kindergarten, you don't need my approval".  Yikes, that truthful comment stung and I am so grateful for it. From childhood, all systems align to have children conform, perform, behave and comply. Seeking approval is natural as insecurity rules in new learning environments, even in adulthood. How do we make the switch from being told what to do, how to do it and what makes the grade, to being self confident, trusting our own intuition and discernment?  One comment, one perspective, one truth at a time, that's how. Trust yourself, this is the mantra, it is easier said than done. In the song Brave, the singer song writer says "I wanna see you be brave, honestly, let the words fall out". What are you waiting for?  It's your life, speak like you have nothing to lose.  When it's the truth you speak and it is spoken with kindness, in service of another, it may be just what they need to hear to help set them free, it may also be just what you needed to say to set YOU free.