Have you ever had a year that just seems to be a bit more intense than other years of your life? Because let me tell you, 2016 has been exactly that for me. But through it’s high highs and low lows I’ve learned a whole lot about what being brave looks like to me. Some of it has been crazy hard but my favorite thing about pain is the redemption on the other side of it. And I’m excited that part of this year’s redemption is getting to share with y’all some of what I’ve learned! I want to share part of my backstory because it has a lot to do with how I’ve found new bravery in this year – I grew up in Minnesota and moved to Nashville five years ago to pursue music. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a ‘famous’ singer. When I was little I constantly dreamt of the fame and fancy parties that I would someday get to partake in just because I could sing. (Disclaimer: I was not born some child prodigy who was amazing at singing. I sounded like every other 6 year old girl. Also fame…
Everyone has a voice. Everyone has a story to tell. What you decide to do with your own voice and story is completely up to you. As for myself, I am working on raising my voice in order to share my story with others in hopes of reaching out and showing people that life is a struggle, but we can get through it with the help of family, friends, and belief in our own selves. To sum it up in the shortest way possible while still covering the important details, I’ll start from the beginning. Or where it all began, that is, the summer before sophomore year. I was caught in the quick sands of a young-love, toxic relationship. I had developed a mindset that I wasn’t “skinny enough” based off of his constant commentary that I could “always improve a certain part of my body”. I worked out nearly every hour that I was awake, whether it be biking to work or the store, running down a new trail, or traveling on foot to the gym to lift weights and swim. I was fatigued before halfway through June but kept grinding forward with my “motivation” to be skinny. By the end…
I haven’t been on Facebook in 3 months. Okay, I can’t say with complete confidence that it’s been a full three months. All I really know is that I haven’t scrolled through my newsfeed all summer. This wasn’t an intentional decision. You won’t find any kind of dramatic declaration on my Facebook page about a decision to take a break. I just did it. I initially decided I should probably cool it on the Facebook check-ins when I found myself clicking on my Facebook bookmark like it was muscle memory. I thought that may be a sign of an addiction rather than something I actually wanted to do, so I took a break. I went two weeks without Facebook and I didn’t see a reason to check back in. So I didn’t. More time passed and I deleted the app from my phone. I wasn’t getting updates and I didn’t give Facebook the opportunity to pressure me into “coming back”. I disconnected. I didn’t post my thoughts, comments, or pictures. I wasn’t living for Facebook. Do you want to know what happened? Nothing. And that is exactly what I expected. The world didn’t end; No one sought me out to…
Over the past few months, we’ve gotten to know four incredible young women. Autumn, Elle, Madilyne, and Adrianna were brave enough to share their stories with the Brave Like Me community! From huge transitions, to family matters, to mental health, these Brave Ambassadors wrote their stories down and handed their experiences to the world with the hope that they might help or inspire. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to sit down with Autumn and Elle to talk about exactly what went through their minds as they dug into insecurities, overcame fears, and chose brave! As you listen to the interview, Elle is the first voice answering a question and Autumn is the second.
Some of the hardest things to admit in life are the ones that you don’t even want to believe yourself. It’s so much easier to brush them aside, to the back of your mind, pretending that everything is fine and to go on living life like nothing is wrong. But then the night will come, you’ll lay in bed and all of those thoughts and realities that you’ve pushed away will all coming flooding back into your mind. At the time, the truth can be unbearable; but in the end, it’s a lot harder to live in a lie than to face the problem at hand. I’ve always been one to put on a happy face. I wanted to be known as that girl. The one who was always smiling, had a great family, the perfect relationship, lots of friends and was as some would call ‘picture perfect’. I strived for that image, not only in person, but on social media as well. I wanted everyone to think that my life was exciting and interesting. I wanted to be the girl that everyone wanted to spend their friday nights with. I wanted to be noticed. For the most part it…
Have you ever watched someone gain confidence in themselves for the first time? I have. I saw it just the other day and it was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever witnessed. I watched an amazing person light up with joy and excitement. Fists were literally raised to the sky in excitement. It was beautiful. It’s not every day that a daughter gets to watch her mother gain newfound confidence in herself, but I did. You should know, my mom is an incredibly talented woman. She would never say this, but she is an artist. Her simple doodles are works of are that, no matter how much time I spend practicing, I will never be able to create with my own hands. Her mind works in creative ways I will never be able to understand but I’ve always admired. My mom has always had remarkable talent. When I was in middle school, I would intentionally leave my homework for my art class sitting on the kitchen table in the hope that my mom might sit down and improve the drawing if she was restless at night. Many nights I would go to bed on a Thursday night…
This was a big year for “lasts.” Some lasts I was happier to experience than others. Those others, however, I’m already missing. It’s never easy to watch something come to an end but it happens no matter what. So today, my LAST day of high school, I say goodbye to 18 years of my life in education to now move on to bigger things. The first last of this year was probably the hardest. To make it worse, I never forgot about it all year. It just sat in the back of my mind as all my other lasts came along. I said goodbye to cross country, a sport I have done since fourth grade. I refused to cry because I’m not a crier but as the title of this says, it was more bitter than sweet. When I thought about it, it was truly the last time I would ever experience anything like that. Spending every Saturday morning at an organized officially timed race with 300 other high school girls in Florida will never be a part of my everyday life again. On the other hand, it felt good to move on. Looking back on it, I can proudly…
Are you looking for a little inspiration to strengthen that brave muscle? I got you, girl! For those of you who don’t already know, I LOVE MUSIC! I love dancing, and I love singing in my car. Most of all, I love the way music inspires me. One song can turn my entire day around and, have no doubt, I’m ready to dance as soon as the beat drops. That is why it seemed only logical to put together a playlist of the songs that never fail to make me feel brave! Click on the link below to hear it for yourself! But first… I’ll give you a little preview of the jams that will be moving your hips and inspiring you to be Brave! Little Mix – Wings This song kept my head up while I was waiting to hear back from the grad programs I applied to! Kelly Clarkson – Invincible Girl, I love me some Kelly! Honestly, I think we would be best friends if we ever had a chance (and we will have a chance if I have anything to say about it!). This song always inspires me to keep going when I’m feeling “beat down…
I realized something yesterday. I’m 25. This really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me seeing as I’m many months into my 25th year, but this thought hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m 25. When I was 13, I made a list of my big dreams and taped the piece of yellow, legal paper to my bedroom door. You should know that I love lists. I’m one of those people who loves the feeling of crossing something off a to-do list. So, making a list at 13 seemed like the only reasonable way to plan my life. From what I can recall, it included the following: Graduate from high school with straight A’s Attend the University of Wisconsin – River Falls Walk a red carpet Write a book Win a Nobel Peace Prize Run for Miss Red Wing Become best friends with Taylor Swift (this was at the top of the list, might I add) Be listed on Forbes’ 25 under 25 list I was a strange 13-year-old, I know. My dreams ranged from the need to have a deep personal relationship with Taylor Swift to the Nobel Peace Prize. Some might say that was a tad…
Sunday evenings are the bane of my existence. Just the thought of them makes my heart turn to brick – heavy enough to drop into my churning stomach. The creeping thoughts of the upcoming week cloud my mind with dark storms, for I fear the stress and possible failure that I could face in the following 6 days at school, dance, work, etc. I’ve always hated Sunday nights growing up, but there is one in particular that felt worse than any other. Now, this Sunday night didn’t just come out of nowhere. There is quite the backstory to it, actually. It’s not an easy tale to tell, but I am going to share it with you now in hopes someone, somewhere, will learn from my battle. Since I graduated from high school, life has not been “peachy keen”. The summer leading to college, I faced many disappointments, heartbreaks, and far too many goodbyes. I thought these bumps in the road would make me more excited to transition to the new lifestyle of college, but boy was I wrong! The upsetting thoughts from that summer were even more prevalent once I left home, and I found myself unable to thoroughly enjoy…
When The Odds Are Against You
Have you ever had a year that just seems to be a bit more intense than other years of your life? Because let me tell you, 2016 has been exactly that for me. But through it’s high highs and low lows I’ve learned a whole lot about what being brave looks like to me. Some of it has been crazy hard but my favorite thing about pain is the redemption on the other side of it. And I’m excited that part of this year’s redemption is getting to share with y’all some of what I’ve learned! I want to share part of my backstory because it has a lot to do with how I’ve found new bravery in this year – I grew up in Minnesota and moved to Nashville five years ago to pursue music. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a ‘famous’ singer. When I was little I constantly dreamt of the fame and fancy parties that I would someday get to partake in just because I could sing. (Disclaimer: I was not born some child prodigy who was amazing at singing. I sounded like every other 6 year old girl. Also fame…
Another Face, Another Story
Everyone has a voice. Everyone has a story to tell. What you decide to do with your own voice and story is completely up to you. As for myself, I am working on raising my voice in order to share my story with others in hopes of reaching out and showing people that life is a struggle, but we can get through it with the help of family, friends, and belief in our own selves. To sum it up in the shortest way possible while still covering the important details, I’ll start from the beginning. Or where it all began, that is, the summer before sophomore year. I was caught in the quick sands of a young-love, toxic relationship. I had developed a mindset that I wasn’t “skinny enough” based off of his constant commentary that I could “always improve a certain part of my body”. I worked out nearly every hour that I was awake, whether it be biking to work or the store, running down a new trail, or traveling on foot to the gym to lift weights and swim. I was fatigued before halfway through June but kept grinding forward with my “motivation” to be skinny. By the end…
Freedom from Facebook
I haven’t been on Facebook in 3 months. Okay, I can’t say with complete confidence that it’s been a full three months. All I really know is that I haven’t scrolled through my newsfeed all summer. This wasn’t an intentional decision. You won’t find any kind of dramatic declaration on my Facebook page about a decision to take a break. I just did it. I initially decided I should probably cool it on the Facebook check-ins when I found myself clicking on my Facebook bookmark like it was muscle memory. I thought that may be a sign of an addiction rather than something I actually wanted to do, so I took a break. I went two weeks without Facebook and I didn’t see a reason to check back in. So I didn’t. More time passed and I deleted the app from my phone. I wasn’t getting updates and I didn’t give Facebook the opportunity to pressure me into “coming back”. I disconnected. I didn’t post my thoughts, comments, or pictures. I wasn’t living for Facebook. Do you want to know what happened? Nothing. And that is exactly what I expected. The world didn’t end; No one sought me out to…
10 Questions with the Brave Ambassadors
Over the past few months, we’ve gotten to know four incredible young women. Autumn, Elle, Madilyne, and Adrianna were brave enough to share their stories with the Brave Like Me community! From huge transitions, to family matters, to mental health, these Brave Ambassadors wrote their stories down and handed their experiences to the world with the hope that they might help or inspire. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to sit down with Autumn and Elle to talk about exactly what went through their minds as they dug into insecurities, overcame fears, and chose brave! As you listen to the interview, Elle is the first voice answering a question and Autumn is the second.
The Truth Hurts, But Lies Kill
Some of the hardest things to admit in life are the ones that you don’t even want to believe yourself. It’s so much easier to brush them aside, to the back of your mind, pretending that everything is fine and to go on living life like nothing is wrong. But then the night will come, you’ll lay in bed and all of those thoughts and realities that you’ve pushed away will all coming flooding back into your mind. At the time, the truth can be unbearable; but in the end, it’s a lot harder to live in a lie than to face the problem at hand. I’ve always been one to put on a happy face. I wanted to be known as that girl. The one who was always smiling, had a great family, the perfect relationship, lots of friends and was as some would call ‘picture perfect’. I strived for that image, not only in person, but on social media as well. I wanted everyone to think that my life was exciting and interesting. I wanted to be the girl that everyone wanted to spend their friday nights with. I wanted to be noticed. For the most part it…
I Wanna See You Be Brave
Have you ever watched someone gain confidence in themselves for the first time? I have. I saw it just the other day and it was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever witnessed. I watched an amazing person light up with joy and excitement. Fists were literally raised to the sky in excitement. It was beautiful. It’s not every day that a daughter gets to watch her mother gain newfound confidence in herself, but I did. You should know, my mom is an incredibly talented woman. She would never say this, but she is an artist. Her simple doodles are works of are that, no matter how much time I spend practicing, I will never be able to create with my own hands. Her mind works in creative ways I will never be able to understand but I’ve always admired. My mom has always had remarkable talent. When I was in middle school, I would intentionally leave my homework for my art class sitting on the kitchen table in the hope that my mom might sit down and improve the drawing if she was restless at night. Many nights I would go to bed on a Thursday night…
More Bitter Than Sweet
This was a big year for “lasts.” Some lasts I was happier to experience than others. Those others, however, I’m already missing. It’s never easy to watch something come to an end but it happens no matter what. So today, my LAST day of high school, I say goodbye to 18 years of my life in education to now move on to bigger things. The first last of this year was probably the hardest. To make it worse, I never forgot about it all year. It just sat in the back of my mind as all my other lasts came along. I said goodbye to cross country, a sport I have done since fourth grade. I refused to cry because I’m not a crier but as the title of this says, it was more bitter than sweet. When I thought about it, it was truly the last time I would ever experience anything like that. Spending every Saturday morning at an organized officially timed race with 300 other high school girls in Florida will never be a part of my everyday life again. On the other hand, it felt good to move on. Looking back on it, I can proudly…
New: Brave Like Me Playlist!
Are you looking for a little inspiration to strengthen that brave muscle? I got you, girl! For those of you who don’t already know, I LOVE MUSIC! I love dancing, and I love singing in my car. Most of all, I love the way music inspires me. One song can turn my entire day around and, have no doubt, I’m ready to dance as soon as the beat drops. That is why it seemed only logical to put together a playlist of the songs that never fail to make me feel brave! Click on the link below to hear it for yourself! But first… I’ll give you a little preview of the jams that will be moving your hips and inspiring you to be Brave! Little Mix – Wings This song kept my head up while I was waiting to hear back from the grad programs I applied to! Kelly Clarkson – Invincible Girl, I love me some Kelly! Honestly, I think we would be best friends if we ever had a chance (and we will have a chance if I have anything to say about it!). This song always inspires me to keep going when I’m feeling “beat down…
25 Under 25… or not
I realized something yesterday. I’m 25. This really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me seeing as I’m many months into my 25th year, but this thought hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m 25. When I was 13, I made a list of my big dreams and taped the piece of yellow, legal paper to my bedroom door. You should know that I love lists. I’m one of those people who loves the feeling of crossing something off a to-do list. So, making a list at 13 seemed like the only reasonable way to plan my life. From what I can recall, it included the following: Graduate from high school with straight A’s Attend the University of Wisconsin – River Falls Walk a red carpet Write a book Win a Nobel Peace Prize Run for Miss Red Wing Become best friends with Taylor Swift (this was at the top of the list, might I add) Be listed on Forbes’ 25 under 25 list I was a strange 13-year-old, I know. My dreams ranged from the need to have a deep personal relationship with Taylor Swift to the Nobel Peace Prize. Some might say that was a tad…
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
Sunday evenings are the bane of my existence. Just the thought of them makes my heart turn to brick – heavy enough to drop into my churning stomach. The creeping thoughts of the upcoming week cloud my mind with dark storms, for I fear the stress and possible failure that I could face in the following 6 days at school, dance, work, etc. I’ve always hated Sunday nights growing up, but there is one in particular that felt worse than any other. Now, this Sunday night didn’t just come out of nowhere. There is quite the backstory to it, actually. It’s not an easy tale to tell, but I am going to share it with you now in hopes someone, somewhere, will learn from my battle. Since I graduated from high school, life has not been “peachy keen”. The summer leading to college, I faced many disappointments, heartbreaks, and far too many goodbyes. I thought these bumps in the road would make me more excited to transition to the new lifestyle of college, but boy was I wrong! The upsetting thoughts from that summer were even more prevalent once I left home, and I found myself unable to thoroughly enjoy…