BRAVEHEART
Photographer: Marquese James
I used to think courage looked loud…
Like charging into battle. Standing your ground. Walking away. Starting over. Being the strong one.
Those moments certainly require courage.
But somewhere along the way, I discovered there is another kind of bravery.
The quieter kind.
Photographer: Marquese James
The kind no one applauds because no one else can see it…
Like remaining open to love after heartbreak, trusting yourself after disappointment, and allowing people to get close enough to know you when experience has taught you that vulnerability comes with risk.
For a long time, I confused protecting my heart with preserving it. I built walls and called them boundaries. I searched for certainty before allowing myself to feel safe, believing that if I could anticipate disappointment, it would somehow hurt less. But somewhere between healing from the woman I used to be and becoming the woman I am still growing into, I realized fear often arrives dressed up as wisdom. What I thought was self-protection was often self-imprisonment.
I realized bravery wasn’t asking me to become fearless.
Photographer: Marquese James
It was asking me to become available.
Available to joy.
Available to connection.
Available to uncertainty.
Available to life.
Even when there were no guarantees.
ESPECIALLY when there were no guarantees.
Today, I no longer believe bravery is about becoming fearless. It’s about trusting myself enough to remain open-even when there are no guarantees. Not because I know how every story will end, but because I finally know that whatever comes, I’ll be okay.
Maybe the bravest hearts aren’t the ones that have never been broken. Maybe they’re the ones that continue to love, hope, and believe anyway.
So I’ll leave you with this… For your memoir…
Where in your life has fear disguised itself as wisdom?
Chic-a, The Self-Love Advocate
“There’s enough shine for everybody. Find YOUR light.”
