Bravery – a word often used to describe something heroic; saving a life, sacrificing for someone else, catching a wild animal…
What comes to your mind when you hear this word for the first time?
Let me tell you mine: I see myself jumping off a cliff into the ocean (although I can barely swim). I see people riding vehicles through a busy road, exploring a non-treaded path...list is endless.
‘So is bravery all about doing daredevil things?’ We asked ourselves when we were reflecting over lunch today about what it really means to be brave. This topic of conversation came up in between us while contemplating about a recent incident where one of us had to choose between continuing to ride through a busy street, passing through a narrow passage between a lorry or wait until the lorry has passed, for the sake of safety of others who were riding with her. And it got us thinking…
If personified and empathized with the word ‘bravery’, one can probably feel how misunderstood and left-out the word truly feels, as it is often left to stand in the shoes of outwardly humongous achievements by others. So then what about the little actions and decisions made, like choosing to be a mother? Or confronting somebody when all you want to do is run away at the mere thought of standing up for yourself? Or even choosing to answer a phone call when you experience anxiety every time you talk on the phone?
And that took a turn when we went deeper on the topic with ‘what about the times when bravery to somebody is all about being brave to prove to others and yourself of your capabilities? Where does this intention come from, what drives this behavior of wanting to do things for the sake of some kind of approval?’ This led us to ponder over another thought about being brave - doing things for the sake of pure pleasure, avoiding the consequences.
Examples kept piling up between us when we were struck with another question, ‘How about being brave responsibly?’ What does it mean to be responsibly brave? Is taking care of yourself when you live all by yourself responsibly brave? How about facing the crowd and presenting a poem? That left me with another question, ‘Does being responsibly brave come with growth?’ I think the answer is, perhaps?
Some of the examples received from two of my other colleagues who happened to pass by while we were reflecting were words such as,
- Having a sense of purpose
- Confidence
- Soldiers
- Animals and reptiles such as snakes and tigers
- David Goliath
- Good over evil
- Me
- Facing the fears
- Moving out of comfort zones
- Staying true to who you are
- Upholding your values
- Smiling in the face of strife/adversities
- Willingness to change
This would mean, we are all brave, doesn’t it? Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves, that we often don’t tend to see the truth behind our lenses of harsh self-criticism. But I think the truth is, we are all perhaps, brave, taking bold decisions, living our lives to fulfill whatever purposes we give our lives. And maybe, being brave is also a form of self-love? I leave you to that.
#reggioemiliainspiredlearning
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#facilitatordiscussiondiaries
Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.
What comes to your mind when you hear this word for the first time?
Let me tell you mine: I see myself jumping off a cliff into the ocean (although I can barely swim). I see people riding vehicles through a busy road, exploring a non-treaded path...list is endless.
‘So is bravery all about doing daredevil things?’ We asked ourselves when we were reflecting over lunch today about what it really means to be brave. This topic of conversation came up in between us while contemplating about a recent incident where one of us had to choose between continuing to ride through a busy street, passing through a narrow passage between a lorry or wait until the lorry has passed, for the sake of safety of others who were riding with her. And it got us thinking…
If personified and empathized with the word ‘bravery’, one can probably feel how misunderstood and left-out the word truly feels, as it is often left to stand in the shoes of outwardly humongous achievements by others. So then what about the little actions and decisions made, like choosing to be a mother? Or confronting somebody when all you want to do is run away at the mere thought of standing up for yourself? Or even choosing to answer a phone call when you experience anxiety every time you talk on the phone?
And that took a turn when we went deeper on the topic with ‘what about the times when bravery to somebody is all about being brave to prove to others and yourself of your capabilities? Where does this intention come from, what drives this behavior of wanting to do things for the sake of some kind of approval?’ This led us to ponder over another thought about being brave - doing things for the sake of pure pleasure, avoiding the consequences.
Examples kept piling up between us when we were struck with another question, ‘How about being brave responsibly?’ What does it mean to be responsibly brave? Is taking care of yourself when you live all by yourself responsibly brave? How about facing the crowd and presenting a poem? That left me with another question, ‘Does being responsibly brave come with growth?’ I think the answer is, perhaps?
Some of the examples received from two of my other colleagues who happened to pass by while we were reflecting were words such as,
- Having a sense of purpose
- Confidence
- Soldiers
- Animals and reptiles such as snakes and tigers
- David Goliath
- Good over evil
- Me
- Facing the fears
- Moving out of comfort zones
- Staying true to who you are
- Upholding your values
- Smiling in the face of strife/adversities
- Willingness to change
This would mean, we are all brave, doesn’t it? Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves, that we often don’t tend to see the truth behind our lenses of harsh self-criticism. But I think the truth is, we are all perhaps, brave, taking bold decisions, living our lives to fulfill whatever purposes we give our lives. And maybe, being brave is also a form of self-love? I leave you to that.
#reggioemiliainspiredlearning
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#facilitatordiscussiondiaries
Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.
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