Are your dreams worth pursuing?

Cheers to a better, braver you!

Woohoo! Can we celebrate BRAVELY’S first ever email newsletter rollout? We’re so grateful to everyone who’s reading this right now. You’ve officially made history in this iconic moment. And, it all started with a dream…a vision to be exact. More to come in the founder’s feature below. For now, let’s get inspired >.<

Today’s Motivational Quote

“We must reject not only the stereotypes that others hold of us, but also the stereotypes that we hold of ourselves.” - Shirley Chisholm

She’s Brave

If by chance you haven’t heard, Serena Williams is retiring from her decades long career as a tennis superstar. Her story is one of dedication, perseverance and pure grit. In this captivating video, Serena gives a tear-jerking thank you speech as she’s interviewed after her match at the 2022 US Open.

With deep retrospection and gratitude, she gives honor to her parents for their support in helping her become who she is. As she continues her speech, she nods to her sister, Venus, in appreciation, stating that there would be no Serena without Venus. Though she’s had to face challenges, overcome backlash and walk through her journey as an individual, she’s had a wonderful support system to back her, to surround her with love and support.

Serena Williams is brave because she has shown incredible humility, acknowledging that she did not accomplish her dreams alone. And as someone with her amount of success, she displayed a level of vulnerability that you wouldn’t normally expect from a champion.

When asked if there was “any chance she’d reconsider (another match), Serena replied, “...I don’t think so, but you never know. I don’t know”. To be unsure, to display vulnerability in a crowd that big, in the midst of a heightened moment is to be commended.

If you can take anything away from this video:

• It’s okay to show genuine vulnerability

• Stay grateful for the ones who help you along the way

• Bravery can come unexpectedly and look different in many ways. In other words, Embrace Your Brave!

Chief Dream Aim

I want you to be honest with yourself. Do you think your dream is worth pursuing? Nope. This isn't rhetorical either. I’m asking you this because I want you to assess whether or not you’re taking the steps to move in the direction of your Chief Dream Aim (CDA). Your CDA is that one dream that you know (in the back of your heart) you have to accomplish. The dream that acts as your guiding star when you’re still in the beginning stages. Let your dream show you the way. But you must take the first step. Even if it’s the tiniest little, baby step. No, it’s not easy. In fact, it can be downright scary. But if your dream is really worth pursuing, then the journey of accomplishing that dream should outweigh any emotion, thought or feeling that might get in your way. It doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to feel those feelings. It just means that you’re going for your CDA anyway. And by golly, with will and determination, you’ll get there. I believe in you :)

Affirmation of the Week

I AM BRAVE enough to pursue my dreams to realization. I am worthy of my dream and my dream is worthy of me. I HAVE what I say I have. I am so happy and grateful my dreams are coming true now.

FUN UPDATES

Our Youtube Channel is gearing up to launch its first show iteration pretty soon! Andddd I want you to be the first to know when the first episode airs. Make sure you’re subscribed to the BRAVELY Youtube Channel. There’s some brave things in the queue ;)

Founder’s Feature

Hey BRAVELY fam (i’m def open to alternative community name suggestions), it’s officially been one week since the launch of BRAVELY. With that launch came a lot of unexpected emotions and lingering fears. However, I’ve been able to observe my thoughts and feelings as if I were a 3rd party to them. I did not let them overcome me, yet instead, I listened to them so I could find the right way to address them. I used to think there was something wrong with feeling a bunch of different emotions. But it was in the way I handled those emotions that made my life difficult. Over time, when I find myself experiencing new challenges, I’ve been able to acquire new strategies to handle strong feelings. This allows me to really look at: what I’m feeling, why I’m feeling them and assess whether I should internalize or let them go. In most cases, they're just emotions I should let go. While this is not always easy to do, it has allowed my recovery and capacity to move on to become a lot greater than it was 5 years ago.

I don’t want to shy away from my feelings. But, I also don’t want them to play center stage. I’ve found that by taking control of myself, I can then steer the direction of my thoughts, emotions and feelings (even the unwanted thoughts that come along). I see this as a form of mental exercise and I work to get better everyday.

But, I want to encourage you to assess your emotions this week and discover new ways to tune into your thoughts without letting them overtake you.

As I continue to build BRAVELY and become more of my true creative and expressive self, I know that there will be many emotions that I’ll face. However, if I can do something everyday to equip myself and my mind to become a little bit stronger, I’ll continue to build the internal braveness I need to accomplish my mission and reach my goals.

You can do anything,

Ayanna Bravely

#BRAVEMOVES

Taking Brave Moves means initiating the required actions to become better and braver in your daily life. For example, that might look like getting up a few minutes earlier. Or, it could be choosing a more nutrient rich food over a sugary snack. What brave move are you going to take this week? Let us know. Or use #bravemoves and tag us on IG @bravelyinc!

Wrap-up

It’s a great day to have a great day. We hope you have one. If you enjoyed today’s issue, totally share it with your friends! We for sure look forward to growing with you. Cheers!

Have feedback on what you’d like to read on the next newsletter or ideas to help make it better? Send us a note!