Brave: A Painfully Shy Life

The notion of Brave came to me while climbing a long, steep hill on a hot day between sessions. Suddenly I envisioned a wooden nickel with the word “brave” on one side and “shyness” on the other side. I loved it instantly because it illustrated that shyness and bravery are two sides of the same coin—it is difficult to be brave, but that’s what it initially takes to overcome shyness. However, I find that once I conquered shyness, I no longer need to endure being brave.

Today I am no longer shy. But after that initial action of seeking help, it took me nearly twenty years of effort to become totally healthy, to direct all my attention to who and what’s before me, wasting not an ounce of energy dealing with shyness. I feel as liberated as a giant sea turtle, who after being lost on land reaches water.