Everyday I try to take a step in the right direction. Often that means pushing my limits and doing what I can to be a little braver. 

In March, I ran into Ingrid Nilsen and I realized I’m not a brave as I want to be. After letting fear stop me from approaching a woman that I am inspired by, I decided to step up to the plate in other ways. In that blog post, I stated that I was going to do four things to make up for my inhibitions:

1. For Ingrid, I am going to reach out to an influential woman and thank her for her contribution and the impact she has had on my life and the lives of other women.
2. For myself, I am going to push against my comfort zone.
3. For my goals, I am going to purchase the domain name of the future company I want to found. Although it may be years before it comes to fruition (if ever), I want to know that the name I have chosen will be available.
4. For FromBrownEyes, I am going to promote my message to a company with similar self-development aims.

So here we are, a month since that post went up. What came of my second attempt at bravery?

1. After doing some research on female CEOs of companies I admire (Career Contessa is a good place to find some inspiration), I found the blog Launch Like A Rocket, founded and written by Susan Lyon. If you are searching for college or career advice, look no further. Lyon, based out of San Diego, runs a successful marketing firm and is currently writing a book “for college students on how to get ready for real life (a career) while you’re in college.” Being that I hope to found a company of my own someday and much enjoy writing, I drew many parallels between myself and Susan and thought she would be the perfect person to offer my gratitude to. She has quickly become something of a mentor to me.
2. If you saw my March Favorites post, you know that I love the Career Contessa website. To push myself out of my comfort zone, I reached out to the editor asking for a chance to write for them. Although writing is a newly discovered passion and my career experience is on the relatively limited scope (I worked retail management for four years, ages 19-23, before ‘retiring’ to start this blog), I knew I had to try. After pitching a few article topics to their editor, I was asked to join the Contessa team (a perfect fit with my name!). To be 23 and have my experiences and thoughts (about career advice, no less) published by a platform other than my own has been a huge accomplishment. I’ll have a syndicate piece up soon, but my first article is live on their site already!
3. I attempted this one. Unfortunately, the domain name I wanted has a current owner. Maybe it is just a sign that the name wasn’t a good fit. FromBrownEyes wasn’t my first choice for this blog, but now I cannot imagine it being anything else. Things always happen for a reason.
4. I wasn’t really sure how this goal would actually play out, but I think I have found a way that makes sense by working with companies that make traveling more accessible. Through FromBrownEyes, I have been trying to promote the importance of making things happen for yourself, even when obstacles are in play. I have talked about my desire to travel, but how navigating the waters of not having a ton of flexible cash and a lack of travel buddies (read more here) can make travel difficult. I have began doing a lot of research on different companies that lessen the need for travel buddies or big budgets. The company I have the most experience with is Airbnb, which I have used once while in Santa Cruz and will be using again for an upcoming weekend in Bend, OR this month. Here, you can rent a couch, private room, or entire house for a period of time. It is a nice way to meet new people and stay in the hot downtown areas for a pretty cheap fare. For my upcoming trip to Alaska in May, I have been working with CouchSurfing, where you can stay for free with locals. If that ends up being the route I take while in Alaska, I’ll be sure to follow up with a review. I also purchased a World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) annual membership, where you can stay with a host family for free room, board, and meals in exchange for work on their farms. With WWOOFers in almost every country, this is a great way to travel and get an authentic local experience without shelling out for hotels. I want to continue to test out these companies in the hope that I can promote to you that travel is much more accessible than it might first appear.

Trying new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone can be daunting at first, but overall I find that I am plenty capable of trying my hand at something new, such as applying for a writing position, as I did with goal number two. By embracing the fact that I love to write, I am allowing myself the opportunity to grow into my full potential. Like Ingrid, I am giving myself my best shot at happiness, and right now, that means stepping over the lines I drew around myself and being a little braver.

-TM

What do you do to become a little braver every day? Let us know below.