Be Brave

It has been two years since my husband and I made the decision to pack a backpack and hop the pond. We were both working independently at the time, and were in an unusually convenient place to skip over to Europe for a month – so we did. I can not express how important I think it is for everyone to experience the world outside of their home town – or even home state. Getting out of your comfort zone and traveling to a place where you may be the minority, or you might not speak the language is a humbling experience. This discomfort (and it is uncomfortable not knowing how to order food, or find a bathroom) forces you to connect to those deep down universal human instincts to get by…like smiling.

With everything that happened this year, I feel like maybe Americans have lost perspective. I keep speculating on how this country has come to this point of division, and the only thing that makes sense is fear. To quote one of the greats of my time:

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Yoda, Jedi Master

Yoda was really ahead his time, right? So why are so many people afraid, and what is it that they are afraid of? I really don’t know the answer to that question. But I do know that people generally fear the unknown. So my plea to anyone that might read this post is to get uncomfortable. Get outside of your comfort zone. Maybe go to that part of town that everyone thinks is shady, grab a bite to eat, and try making a new friend. I think you will find that the more you force yourself into situations that scare you, the more you find that there was nothing there to be afraid of. Lead with your heart and a smile, and you will see that you can make a difference one new experience at a time.

As well as just opening your eyes to different cultures and life situations, getting uncomfortable is a great way to grow creatively. While walking around the streets in the small towns throughout Portugal and Spain, I was exposed to new styles of typography – new patterns in the tiles, walls, and ceiling – and graffiti that expressed the feelings of a generation, and color and texture combinations that you just don’t see in America.

Get outside. Explore as far as you can. Experience something new, but most importantly be brave.