Looking Back and Moving Forward

I started Braver Than Before just over one month ago and it has been an absolutely amazing journey! Since my first post, braverthanbefore.com has been viewed over 6500 times by people in 50 countries around the globe! I am utterly humbled and so deeply honoured by these statistics. When I started out on this venture, …

Cruel Curveballs: 5 Healthy Responses to Circumstances Beyond Your Control

Life sure makes a nasty habit of forcing us into situations where things don’t go our way. If you’re anything like me, you probably visualize exactly the way you want things in life to turn out. And when it doesn’t work the way you planned it, you find yourself feeling sort of lost and even victimized. In times …

I Have Nothing [Without You]

I sat down to write a blog post a couple of hours ago. It didn’t take long for me to give up and focus my attention elsewhere. I wanted a distraction. I wanted to feel something. I wanted to feel inspired. I wanted to feel like I was able to inspire. But I just felt nothing. …

When Sorrow and Joy Converge

I knew a wonderful woman. She was a woman who loved deeply and gave much. Her door was always open, and so was her heart. From the moment you met her, you wondered if she had somehow known you all your life. And as she wrapped her gentle, loving arms around you, you thought you …

What Dental Health Taught Me About Mental Health

I am a flosser. Although flossing is one thing in life that I actually manage not to obsess about, I do genuinely enjoy the feeling of freshly flossed teeth—particularly after eating something especially chewy or stringy! This was the case after I ate supper last night. I took the evening off from my previously planned …

Aviation Procrastination (And How I Finally Booked My Flights)

Oh boy! I feel like celebrating! Ryan and I just booked our flights for an upcoming overseas adventure in April! Naturally, the trip itself gives us plenty of reasons to celebrate. The first portion of our journey will take us to Rwanda, where we will spend around two weeks partnering with some amazing friends of ours …

Ancient Anxiety: A Perspective from the Past

This morning I came across a quote in the Bible that really struck me. It is found in Psalm 94:19 and it says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” It was already highlighted in my Bible when I read it this morning, meaning that I had definitely read and appreciated it …

Anxiety: Is There Life Beyond the Nightmare?

Have you ever had one of those dreams that seems to happen somewhere halfway between waking and sleeping? It comes to you in a hazy dreamlike state, but strangely in it, you find yourself in your own room, in your own bed, and convinced that what you are experiencing in the dream is really happening …

Slow Down: 5 Practical Ways to Pace Yourself for Inner Peace

I made a few specific changes to my routine last week (read about them in Assessing, Addressing, and Ascending) in order to improve my mental health and overall productivity. While I noticed some progress almost immediately, I also noticed a negative side-effect that I didn’t expect. In scheduling my days, I didn’t really set aside …

The Blanket Diaries…

When I was a little girl, I always slept with a blanket on my head. I suppose that statement requires a little bit of explanation. I don’t mean that I pulled my comforter up over my head to cover my ears when I went to sleep, like I do now. What I mean is that …