What does being brave really mean? I was recently reading a book that referenced the bravery of the character in the way she overcame adversity, how she didn't let others dim her sparkle, how she moved beyond feeling that she needed to be perfect and invincible.
And it got me to thinking......how do you strengthen those skills? It's much like the question - how do you teach students about resiliency and grit?
Reshma Saujani in the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Girls Who Code and author of the new book and international bestseller Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder. When I was reading it last weekend, I pondered the thought that maybe we can be stronger, braver, focused.
Saujani mentioned, "If we could unlearn perfectionism, we’ll be happier." She goes on to write about how girls have to be pushed while boys are rewarded for just showing up....her words, not mine. But what she draws from the many gender differences that we face is that we need to push our young people to be stronger, wiser, harder working, and in the end....braver.
How?
- reminding them that failure isn't an option, and when they fear it, get them to see that they haven't failed yet so why now?
- get them to recognize that those who practice do perform better (can you say music, dance, sports???)
- have them see the advantage of asking for a redo after an exam where the results were less than desirable
Yes, I could go on with this list. But how do we emphasize it as adults? Keep reading and watching below.....
And...hey....happy Monday!
Great, short article here on how you can approach life from a braver perspective, and strengthen that lifeskill while you are at it.. Take a gander. Read it HERE.
* Watch It.
Love, love, love Brene Brown....and in this short video snippet, she speaks about bravery and its ties to vulnerability. Less than four minutes...check it out!
* Share it.
Can you print these and share them? Notes to colleagues to help inspire and encourage them. Now go slay yet another week!
