Happy New Year, my brave friends.

2016 was a difficult one for the world, I think. Our collective hearts broke, were shocked, and we’re all hopeful that 2017 ushers in some more positivity. The Show Me Your Brave project aims to help with that. I’ll be continuing to collect and share your stories of courage, strength, and bravery. Your words will inspire others, giving them courage, too. It’s our own way of paying it forward. It’s how we connect, it’s how we move through this life, seeing silver linings and positivity ahead. And so, on that note, the first post of 2017 is about owning our happiness.

I wish you all great happiness this year. xo

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Making the decision that my own happiness was more important than anything else. It took me 10 years to finally learn this lesson and make the changes necessary to allow myself to be happy.

So, after losing 100lbs, leaving my husband of 10 years, and taking a solo road trip across the country, I was finally able to let good things into my life and feel positive in every way.

I no longer allow others to dictate my mood or frame of mind.

It is amazing what happens when you open yourself up to happiness and positivity: I was sought out to take my dream job, live in my ideal home, and am rebuilding my financial future… and I feel inspired every day.

There are days that I am still scared by things and that I doubt myself, but they are fewer and farther inbetween these days. When I feel like that, I choose to allow myself to feel ity and ride the wave through it….because I believe there is always a reason why I am feeling that way.

The #ShowMeYourBrave Project asks people, “What’s the bravest, scariest, or most intimidating thing you’ve ever done?”. The idea of the project is to share stories of everyday bravery and human resilience to bring us closer together. In sharing, we not only find our voices, but we find support, allies, and others who have faced similar challenges. If you would like to submit your story, we would love to feature your bravery here.