I’ve been thinking a lot about doing hard things.
Sometimes, just getting through the day is doing a hard thing.
Sometimes, going outside our comfort zone is doing a hard thing.
Sometimes, being our authentic self is hard.
Sometimes, telling ourselves the truth is hard.
But, to quote Glennon Doyle, “We can do hard things.”
Untamed was the first book I read when the pandemic hit, and I loved it so much, that I immediately gave it to a friend that I thought needed to read it. In it, Glennon Doyle reaches into herself and finds the courage to live life authentically, truly to who she is and what she believes. Like all of us, she makes mistakes, is emotional, is human. Here is one of the quotes that really moved me:
“‘We can do hard things’ becomes my hourly life mantra. It is my affirmation that living life on life’s own absurd terms is hard. It isn’t hard because I’m weak or flawed or because I made a wrong turn somewhere, it is hard because life is just hard for humans and I am a human who is finally doing life right. ‘We can do hard things’ insists that I can, and should, stay in the hard because there is some kind of reward for staying. I don’t know what the reward is yet, but it feels true that there would be one, and I want to find out what it is. I am especially comforted by the We part. I don’t know who the We is; I just need to believe that there is a We somewhere, either helping me through my hard things or doing their own hard things while I do mine.”
– Glennon Doyle, Untamed
I like the idea of the “we” – WE are all doing our own hard things. So, we are all in this together.
I like the idea of getting through hard times together. Yes, we are each on our own journey and we have to be brave everyday to get through it.
Daring greatly is being brave and afraid every minute of the day at the exact same time.
– Brene Brown
Do you relate to being brave and afraid at the same time? We can be so afraid to do the hard things that we need to do to get through life. To be authentically ourselves we must have courage.
Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.
-Brene Brown
We are each imperfect, and in that we are unique and lovely.
I am encouraging you to show up for your authentic self and to show your authentic self.
I am encouraging MYSELF to do this at the same time. Everyday. Every moment. And it is scary and hard. Because there are some things I need to do that are hard and I feel like I have to fight with myself to speak my truth, and be my authentic self. But, I have been BRAVE. And, I have been doing it. And when I do, I feel amazing. I feel so strong and powerful and proud of myself. That is my reward for doing the hard things I need to do.
So, be courageous.
Be your authentic self.
What hard things are you doing right now? We are all in this together, all doing hard things, all living in a state of discomfort, but knowing we are doing what is true to ourselves and our hearts and souls.
Be BRAVE. You can do hard things.
