Be Brave With Your Words.

The day I launched this blog, I had a mild meltdown. You know how whenever you decide to take a step out and pursue a dream, all of the doubt and discouragement come blazing in? This day was no different. All of the reasons why I should give up before I begin and throw in the towel were running through my mind. Still, I pushed through and clicked the mouse to make this website public.

The past two weeks have been full of encouragement from unexpected places. I feel like the my whole tribe is waving “Kelsey Rocks” foam fingers, and I’m about to go buy some Kettle Corn.

One sweet friend told me this. “Be brave with your words.”

Oh. My. Gosh.

How do I have such wonderful people in my life? The ones who speak the thoughts that swirl in my brain between red lights and piles of laundry.

More than anything, I want to be brave with my words. I want to speak things even if they are hard. Even if they are kept silent by most people. Even if they feel scary to say.

Things like insecurity, loneliness, discouragement, anxiety, fear, hope, vision, and gratitude.

These are the words that we whisper. We feel like they are shameful, or embarrassing, or should be kept secret. So we don’t talk about them, we keep them hidden, we keep them to ourselves.

I’m kind of done walking through life feeling like I have to do it by myself. Because over the past couple years I have realized how much more effective and alive I can be when I allow other people to walk along with me and actually know what is going on below the surface.

I am done thinking that I can tackle discouragement alone.

I am done thinking that the things that make me anxious should be kept secret.

I am done trying to get rid of my insecurities by mulling over and over them in my mind.

I’m ready to admit that some of these things are a reality in my life because I know there are people around me who are fighting the same battles, who are walking down the same pathways, and who are also looking for someone who can lean over and say, “Me Too.”

I think we all could stand to be a little braver with our words.

I feel all of the feels. All of the times. I have big emotions, strong opinions. But sometimes, I tone things down in order to be a little more cautious and to be a little more safe. Basically, I want to appear that I have it all together. You know the feeling, don’t you?

Instead of saying to my best friend Tara, “Your friendship is something that teaches me every day about faithfulness. Thank you for being consistent on good days and bad days. I need you in my life.”

I say things like, “Thanks for being there today!”

Which, yes, is still good. It is still nice. But is it the whole truth? Is it brave? No. It’s the safe version. It’s the version that leaves out the part where I admit that I can’t do things on my own. Where I raise my hand and say the words, “I Need You.”

Or instead of telling my husband that I’m overwhelmed and need a night away from work and away from the noise to just be together, I instead get irritable and grumpy. Which makes NO sense at all. Because I’m too afraid to just say what I really mean and what I really want.

I have decided that being a little uncomfortable in order to show the people I love just how much they mean to me is worth it. Every time.

I would love to have my life all together. But, SPOILER ALERT, I don’t. There are areas where I am doing great, and areas where I am stumbling around in the dark hoping that someone will just turn the light on. It’s hard to tell people when you need something. It’s hard to admit fear, or lonliness, or even hurt feelings.

But it’s brave.

It’s brave to choose to open up your heart and show someone what’s inside. It’s brave to not hide the mess and it’s even brave to admit gratitude. It is brave to tell someone how much you love them. And it’s even braver to tell someone how much you need them.

These vulnerable words, these brave words, these honest words. These are the words that I crave. And I would venture to say that you probably crave them too.

But the thing about vulnerability is that I think a lot of us want to be vulnerable. We want to be real. We want to let people in to our lives. But sometimes we just don’t want to be the one who goes first. We want someone else to jump into the pool and tell us if the water is cold. We don’t want to be the first one to take a risk.

But, being vulnerable will allow other people to feel comfortable enough to also be vulnerable. It will. If you open up, chances are the people around you will open up too.

Being brave enough to go first is the scary part.

I’m ready to be a little braver.

I’m ready to say what I mean, and to show people the good, the bad, the hard, and the real.

I’m ready to be brave with my words in order to deepen relationships and forge strong friendships.

And I’m pretty sure that when I start being braver, the people around me will get a little braver too.

I’ll jump in first, want to jump with me?