Jessica Briggs
It’s a new year, and with that I have emerged with a goal. I don’t make resolutions, rather I choose one word that has meaning to carve things out in my mental, spiritual and emotional life. My 2020 word is BRAVE.
I used to think “brave” meant doing things scared. In that regard, starting to put pen to paper and write was an act of bravery. But after typing out some blogs or publishing articles, I started to feel scared. Do people really want to read my words? What if I say the wrong thing? What if my words are found in the future even when my thoughts/feelings have changed and matured?
After reading Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown, bravery has taken on a deeper meaning for me. (Yes, I read psychology and self-help. I have my MSEd in Counseling, after all!) Bravery isn’t just doing things scared. It’s doing things with authenticity.
For so long I’ve bent to this idea that doing anything for me is selfish, but who I was made to be has meaning and value and is a reflection of the Creator. Now, don’t go commenting that I’ve lost my faith. Really, in order to love the Lord and others, there’s a necessary level of learning to know, love and be authentic to your self. So, 2020 is my year to be brave.
In the book, Brown describes bravery in a multifaceted way with an acronym:
B-oundaries
R-eliability
A-ccountability
V-ault
I-ntegrity
N-onjudgment
G-enerosity
I used this concept to carve out what I want to be brave in this year. It will encompass my relationships, my health, my work, my homeschooling, my personal growth and recreation.
I will be brave in my writing going forward. Here’s what I mean:
Boundaries: I will set and respect my own boundaries. I won’t write to hustle, get paid or gain recognition. It’s a creative process and I’m going to lean into it. I want this to be enjoyable. I don’t need fame or recognition. I just need space to think, to feel, to process. And words do that for me.
Reliability: I will keep reliability in my mind as I write. Much of writing is a discipline, and I can learn to do that by devoting time weekly to the task, and not just writing because I “feel” like it.
Accountable: Did I do what I said I would do? See above 🙂
Vault: This means respecting the stories and personhood of others, and not using them as writing subjects without their permission. To me that includes even famed people. No more articles about the popular Church folks.
Integrity: Am I writing with personal integrity? Am I sharing things because it’s how I truly feel or I think it’s what people want to hear? This one is hard for me. I want to have integrity to who I am, who I will become yet I also don’t want my words to become someone’s benchmark or soapbox. I guess that’s out of my hands, really.
No judgment: I have a hard time asking for help when I need it. I want to be able to reach out without judging myself as a failure. RISK, they say it pays off.
Generosity: In this regard I mean that I will be generous to myself. I won’t hold myself to some hard and fast rules of writing. I will enjoy the process. I will feel through it. I will stop hesitating to push publish. I’m going to be generously present with myself.
That’s my hope for this space. Happy 2020 Reading. Thanks for tagging along.
Love, Jessica
