This is Bravery?
There are days
That you don’t want to wake up
Knowing full well what
The day ahead will bring.
Deadlines and chores
You can deal with
Projects and planning
Seem a breeze.
It’s the inner work
That can sap you
Of energy and leave you
Feeling weak and vulnerable.
Facing reality of your past
Admitting that it
Affects your present
More than you’ve realized.
Owning those feelings
Of inadequacy
Facing those demons
That haunt you.
Sleepless nights
Restless thoughts
Self-doubt
Fear and anger.
This is bravery
Yet you press on
Going further inward
Daring to face
Your own vulnerability.
Owning your story
Acknowledging the part
You played in deeply
Hurting your soul.
Speaking of your hurt
And learning to let
The light shine on
Those dark places within.
Authenticity is hard
But then so is
Living a life
Of never daring.
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ― Brené Brown

Would you like to take part in #MondayMusings?
Here’s how it works:
- Write a post sharing your thoughts with us – happy, sad, philosophical, ‘silly’ even. Make it as personal as possible.
- Use the hashtag #MondayMusings.
- Add your link to the linky below
- Use our #MondayMusings badge to encourage other bloggers join in too.
- Visit and comment on the posts of other bloggers linked here.
- Share the love.

Joining Mel Ford’s Microblog Mondays and Mac Glanville’s linky #mg
Thanks to Mac for selecting me as a featured writer for my post last week.

Image of dandelion courtesy Shutterstock
I love this! Thanks for posting. Getting past the things that drag you down is a tough battle but worth it.
Some great quotes that came to my email this morning –
“Make failure be your teacher not your undertaker.” – Zig Zigglar
“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
Very well said Corinne. When life puts you in challenging situation you need to be brave and face it.
This is BEAUTIFUL. <3
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I sulk frequently and there are days when I just doesn’t want to get up from bed. I could so relate to the post! What I loved the most is that you expressed your thoughts in less number of simple words <3
Best wishes on fighting the good fight, my dear! You’re an inspiration.
Beautifully told, Corinne! This poem spoke to me.
I’m glad it did, Vinitha. It came from a place deep within.
Am I the person talking in this poem? It almost felt so. But then this happens to all of us. We all are brave in our own right.
I’m guessing it does, Anamika, but I also find that not every one wants to deal with the difficult stuff.
It takes courage to accept ourselves, our past experiences and admit that they make us what we are and move ahead. Some of the things you said felt like it was I who was speaking here and some, I wish I had the courage to say
I remember having watched the Ted talk by her on the power of vulnerability.. she was so inspiring in that.. in a unconventional way… Liked the poem. .. it’s bravery- following the routine and just going on with your day
Yes, this is bravery… to fight the demons every day and still look forward to another day requires immense courage and motivation. Beautiful thoughts Corinne.
“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” …. This line of the whole quote is so meaningful. Thanks for sharing Corinne
Truly summarized the meaning of Bravery, its when I know that I did something wrong previous day but I get up with full determination to mend that.
Its when I know that there is something harsh to deal with but I get up confident to face it.
Its when I know that there will be a pain but I get up head-high to bear it.
Thanks for sharing it Corinne. I love myself for not quitting.
So beautiful and so very true. This has really spoken to a part of my soul today, so thank you x
#mg
Shout out to all brave people! Wow, this is amazing. Sorry wasn’t able to join the link up and visit for quite a while. My internet connection was crazy.
Beautiful reflection, Corinne! Spoke deeply to me.
Blessings!
Beautifully written! It is true it is bravery isn’t it! Some days it takes so much for me to face the day, there was a time I felt so overwhelmed that I could barely lift my head, I truly had to fight to get my life back. I never refer to myself as brave, but today you make me feel like I can xx #mg
One should keep moving on, no matter what. Courage is also about keeping afloat, as much as it is about swimming against the tide.