I wonder what our lives would look like if we were all a little bit braver. Would this mean we would ask more questions, take more risks, set loftier goals, or follow our hearts and dreams more often, more audaciously?

I also wonder what girls’ lives could look like if we taught them to be a little bit braver. Could they then step further out of their comfort zones, embrace more changes, and grow more and more each day into girls of who are confident, secure, and know exactly who they are?

Bravery doesn’t “just happen”. Bravery is a skill that takes attention and intention. When we set out to be brave and practice bravery, starting with small acts of bravery each day, we become brave over time.

Here are some ideas for teaching girls bravery, starting TODAY:

• Ask her to allow herself to feel and express ALL of her feelings.
• Encourage her to let go of people who are not healthy for her or who are always letting her down.
• Allow her time to share her opinion and her thoughts about a topic.
• Reassure her it’s okay to be wrong or to make mistakes; actually these are meaningful learning experiences.
• Ask her to try something new and to be okay with not being the very best at it.
• Talk to her about setting boundaries and saying, “no” to others.
• Discuss the importance of listening to and following her inner voice.
• Help her to set goals and make sure these goals will stretch her (no playing it safe!)
• Encourage her to ask for help.
• Walk alongside her as she faces a problem and work through it together.
• Teach her to tell herself the truth about herself and about others.
• Help her to trust in her ideas.

Let’s imagine a world where girls are BRAVE and feel strong enough, smart enough, and good enough to dream big, take big risks, and be their very best and most authentic selves. Wouldn’t this be amazing?

“Who you are today…that’s who you are. So be brave. Be amazing. Be worthy.”

– Shonda Rhimes