Women’s Stories of Grit and Grace
Welcome to a new weekly serial, recounting stories of courage and resilience from women like you and me. It’s all free to you, and allows us to provide multi-media and an overall richer experience.
What does it mean to be brave?
It’s not what normally comes to mind, like the high drama of running into a burning building. It’s what happens in everyday life. Brave is telling your good friends the truth—that you’re not all right when they think you are. Brave is believing in yourself enough to push against what’s expected of you, when it doesn’t fit. Brave is saying ‘no’, when ‘yes’ is so much easier.
Brave is taking actions, but it is also slowing down long enough to hear your longings, your questions. For much of my life and career, I looked for quick answers instead of listening to the questions. The questions matter, too, because they are the heart’s way of telling you there’s more to live for, to become, to do. They inform what you can offer to the world, given your unique gifts and talents.
The courage captured in the stories you’re about to read is the kind, where afterward, the storytellers were puzzled to be called brave. They reflected: I had no choice. If I hadn’t acted as I did, I would have sacrificed my soul.
In this series, you will hear from women from many diverse backgrounds and careers. I purposely chose stories of yours from profit-based organizations and non-profit, whether you are leader or self-employed. A financial trader, a park ranger, a magazine founder, a pet care store owner, and others of you who are making your way in the world with grace and grit. In this way, these stories reflect all of us.
We each have a courageous story. Thank you for being open enough, generous enough to share yours.
Share your story
Many of you have asked me if it’s too late to submit a brave story. Men have asked me if they could submit a story of a brave woman in their life. Since Brilliantly Brave is a virtual book, it can expand, and potentially become a published, hard bound book. Please send me your story of a brave moment in your life!