Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have
I just finished Let’s All Be Brave by Annie F. Downs and loved that she believed this, too. I saw a friend mention this book on Twitter and could absolutely not say no to a title like that. Annie is a beautiful writer, encourager, and woman of faith. She will make you feel that you can be brave, too. She will also help you to see that being brave looks different to everyone else and is careful to not define that for us. She let’s us define it for ourselves. But she tells us a little about how to be brave and what makes it easier to be brave.
A few of my favorite quotes from Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have
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I love when she talks of how brave is different for each of us. It is about doing the thing we feel drawn to do that requires courage. A few of Annie Down’s quotes from the book on finding your own brave…
“Like peering at some sort of kaleidoscope crystal, no two people are going to see the same thing when they look for a brave moment. God is that creative.” -Annie Downs
“She would say in her last days that God kept her on earth to pray for us — her children and grandchildren. That she felt her purpose on this planet was to cover us, intercede for us, and ask God to direct us. That’s brave to me.” -Annie Downs
“What’s your yes? I have to wonder if there is a question lingering out there in your heart that you don’t know how to answer. It could be big, like a location change, a job change, or a relationship. Or maybe it is a yes to inviting one friend over for dinner, attending one Zumba class at the gym, or making one request for help. What is waiting for you on your map just on the other side of the next yes?” -Annie Downs
She talks of how being brave is not about the results as much as it is about the doing…
“And I’m just not sure you are going to get it right every time — saying the right yes and the right no. I don’t get it right all the time. But courage doesn’t equal right; courage equals stepping out and trying. Be brave and say yes. But also be brave and say no. Jump on the float. Walk into the furnace. Stand up. Sit down. Get on that flight. Say the thing that courage asks you to say, even if it’s the word no.” -Annie Downs
And I just love this one…
“This is your story. Be brave for yourself, be brave for your God, and be brave for the onlookers, the ones who will be inspired by you to inspire others.” -Annie Downs
Click here to purchase: Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have
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Being brave is scary, and I really enjoyed reading what it was like for someone else, I especially loved where she talked about her people. We all need that group of others that we consider our people.
What’s calling you to be brave? What’s your brave look like? Whatever your brave looks like, just do it. And celebrate those times you are brave, no matter how small they may seem or what they may look like. If they took courage, even if that was courage to show up, to speak up, to not be invisible, then celebrate that, my beautiful friend. Celebrate it. Every single moment. Every single act of courage. Celebrate it.
Celebrate those times you are brave, no matter how small they may seem or what they may look like. If they took courage, even if that was courage to show up, to speak up, to not be invisible, then celebrate that, my beautiful friend. Celebrate it. Every single moment. Every single act of courage. Celebrate it. -Topaz
I don’t consider myself a brave person, much like you. However, I do know it was brave of me to walk out of an emotionally abusive relationship. My mother in law says I am either the bravest or the silliest person she has ever met due to how my husband and I met. I know that I will do anything for my children whether to stand up for them or protect them. Does that make me brave? Perhaps. But I do know you won’t catch me jumping out of a plane just for the thrill of it.
Ana Lynn, I think you are brave, beautiful, soul. You are a woman going strong after your dreams. You show up. And you are raising a beautiful family in the process of it all. It’s funny how we compare ourselves to someone jumping out of a plane, how we make that a standard of bravery. We never compare ourselves to the person who might be afraid to go after her dreams, who might be saying no to her dreams. Or we don’t compare ourselves to the person who is never growing or learning. That is hard stuff that we show up for every day. We are brave. And then I ask myself why are we comparing ourselves to others at all. It is about us growing and moving forward even when it scares us or it’s hard. Then we are brave. Maybe we need to make a list of all the ways we are brave and give ourselves credit where credit is due.
I ordered this book a week ago and can’t wait for it to get here. I have been dealing with a lot of anxiety lately, which for me is really just fear of what might happen. I have a plaque in my office which reads “Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s being afraid, but going on anyway”. I’m continuing to work on that.
I’ve been experiencing that a lot over the past few years….anxiety…fear of what might happen. I have been making some notes for an article about something that occurred to me one day when I was having a tough time. I do try and manage my stress level. I’m doing the Change Your Thought, Change Your Life Challenge right now. I might try and do it for the rest of the year instead of just 30 days. I need to learn to recognize things I love and things that are good and times where I am brave. Thinking on those things would give me way less time to think on the others. lol I love chatting with you, Lana. xo
That looks like a good book. Thanks for the highlights. I don’t get the chance to be crazy jump out of planes brave, but I try to challenge myself in little ways. The other day I forced myself to talk with a little lady while we were both standing in the Dairy Queen line. I would usually just stand there and silently figure out what to order, but something called me to talk to her. We had a lovely conversation and I left feeling thankful I was ” brave” enough to take the time. Small bravery compared to some, but a start! 😉
Wow. This book sounds like an incredibly powerful and empowering read! I love the quotes you chose… it seems like everyone could be blessed by her words.
All of us are brave really- each of us take chances at life every day. Perhaps some decisions are bigger and bolder, but really? Each day we face can be daunting because we truly don’t know what’s in store for us. We take faithful steps into an unknown and uncertain future. I think bravery looks different to all. Much like her analogy you shared.
Pinning this so I can go buy it later- after I read the ten books I have on my shelf waiting now!!! 😉
It is a really good book, and I just could not resist a book with a title like that. It just begged me to buy it. And I had to laugh. My list of books to read sounds much like yours. Thanks for pinning it. Hope you enjoy it when you get it, Chris. 🙂
You know, I typically wouldn’t think I am brave, but as I look over the past few years of my life and some changes that I have made, I am brave. I am brave for starting a blog. I am brave when I have a speaking engagement or presentation. I am brave when I reach out to someone I don’t know because I want to help. Thanks, Topaz, as always. We are all brave in different and beautiful ways. Off to check out the book now!
You are so right, Elizabeth. We are braver than we think and should give ourselves more credit. Those are all things that require courage. This would be a great page to add to my inspirational journal…ways that I’m brave.
This book sounds like exactly what I need to be reading right now.
I’m adding it to my reading list.
It was wonderful, Tracie! Hope you enjoy it, too!