Fearless living

“I want to be brave with my life. When we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.” ~Brene Brown, Daring Greatly

I never wanted to be a professional actor, but I don’t regret a minute of the time I spent in the performing arts. When I was a kid, I acted, danced, and sang (badly) in dramas and musicals. I was, as my parents liked to say, “an incorrigible ham.” But just as my folks had hoped, the performing arts gave me confidence. By putting myself out there, I was better prepared for the public speaking that was essential to several of the (non-theatrical) jobs I had later on.

Today, I applaud all the brave ones who, in the words of comedian Joan Rivers, are able to “get over themselves” long enough to entertain, educate, or inform us. (I’m reminded of Garth Brooks’ classic country song, “Standing Outside the Fire,” which now serves as an anthem for courage in any situation.) As Brene Brown advises, if we want to live fully, we have to risk looking foolish or even “getting our asses kicked.” ~CL