The Joy Revolution: Why Celebrating Small Wins Can Transform Your Life - Week #4
""The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." - Oprah Winfrey
What if the key to a more courageous life was simply a heartfelt "thank you" or a fist bump after a tough day? This week (week #4), in our courage journey, let's focus on celebrating every small victory we often overlook.
Imagine stepping out of a challenging meeting, proud of your efforts. Recently, I celebrated a personal milestone—the paperback release of "Scare Your Soul"—by attending a Jon Batiste concert. The real highlight? Seeing Suleika Jaouad in the audience. Her strength in facing cancer is a reminder of the courage it takes to keep showing up for life.
For those who don't know, Suleika Jaouad is a force of nature, a beacon of resilience, and an inspiration to millions (including Dana and me).
At 22, just as she was poised to embark on a promising career as a foreign correspondent, Suleika was diagnosed with leukemia. Her world turned upside down, but instead of retreating, she turned her experience into a powerful voice for those navigating life's unexpected detours.
She wrote the Emmy Award-winning New York Times column "Life, Interrupted," penned the bestselling memoir "Between Two Kingdoms," and created the amazing The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad
Through it all, Suleika has been unflinchingly honest about her struggles, her fears, and her determination to find beauty and meaning in the midst of hardship.
Just recently, Suleika had announced publicly that she was facing a recurrence of cancer and would be going back into chemo.
The weight of this news hung in the air as Dana and I took our seats, both of us acutely aware of the courage it takes to keep showing up, to keep celebrating life, even when that life throws you curveball after curveball.
Week #3 Your Celebration Challenge
Research from Stanford's BJ Fogg PhD shows that celebrating our wins—big and small—can reinforce positive behaviors and make them habits.
If Suleika can find joy amid challenges, so can we. Every act of bravery deserves recognition. Let’s raise a glass to the art of celebration and to the courage it takes to show up each day.
Embrace Celebration in this week's Scare Your Soul newsletter and weekly challenge. After you nail that presentation or even just tackle your inbox, take a moment to acknowledge your success. Celebrate it! Whether it’s a victory dance or a quick pause to appreciate your effort, these moments matter.
Want courage challenges sent straight to your inbox every week? Click here to sign up for the Scare Your Soul newsletter!
Rollercoasters, Subways, and Sweaty Palms: The Thin Line Between Terror and Thrill - Week #3
"The very thing we are afraid of, our brains are afraid of. And yet, that is the thing we also want the most." - Cory Allen
It's week number three of our six weeks of getting down to the basics of courage, are you ready to uncover the science of excitement over fear?
Last week, I found myself in New York, feeling like a small dog at a giant convention alongside the brilliant Dorie Clark.
Amidst the whirlwind of intense meetings and breakthrough discussions (where I mostly nodded and pretended to understand), I received a text from Cam DuPuy, one of our beloved Scare Your Soul ambassadors, inviting me to dinner in midtown.
Now, here's where it gets interesting.
I've always been pretty intimidated by the NYC subway system. It's like a giant, underground snake pit, but instead of snakes, it's filled with impatient New Yorkers and mysterious puddles.
I successfully made my way to dinner, but when i stood up to leave, I realized my phone's battery was about to die....
No maps, no easy escape route. Just me, my wits, and a city full of eight million people.
I had a choice: take a $40 cab ride back downtown (the easy route) or navigate the subway system relying solely on the kindness of strangers and my own intuition (which, let's be honest, once told me that gas station sushi was a good idea).
I chose the path of discomfort.
As I descended the subway stairs, I made a conscious decision. Instead of letting fear take the wheel, I reframed the situation.
"How exciting is this?" I thought. "When do I ever get to navigate a big city without technology, relying only on my wits and the help of others?"
Week #3 Choose Excitement
This small linguistic shift can transform a daunting task into an exhilarating opportunity for growth. It's like putting on rose-colored glasses, but for your emotions.
It's not about denying the butterflies in your stomach. They're still there, probably having a rave.
But you're reinterpreting their meaning.
Choose Excitement in this week's Scare Your Soul newsletter and weekly challenge, we explore how to choose excitement over fear during your next professional challenge, whether it's a presentation, a difficult conversation or trying to figure out the office coffee machine.
Want courage challenges sent straight to your inbox every week? Click here to sign up for the Scare Your Soul newsletter!
What Decision Are You Not Making? Yes, That One: Six Weeks of Getting Down to Courage Basics - Week #2
"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows." - Native American Proverb
It's week number two of our six weeks of getting down to the basics of courage, are you ready for a little adventure in self-discovery?
This week, I want to tell you all about my friend Stephanie. For 7 years she climbed her way up the corporate ladder, had a corner cube, a 401(k), and a clear path to become director. She was doing well, but the nudges started.
She followed stories of peers who went freelance, caught herself thinking "if this were my own agency, I'd do things differently", she listened as others shared stories of entrepreneurship but continued to push those feelings aside.......she had after all just signed a lease on a new apartment.
Read this weeks article "What Decision are You Not Making? Yes, That One." and find out where the final nudge came for Stephanie.
It was completely unexpected, but 2 years later Stephanie wonders why she waited so long to act on those persistent nudges.
My friend, life often whispers before it shouts.
So this week, I ask the question: What decision are you not making? Yes, that one.
Week #2 Identify One Nudge You've Been Ignoring
What whisper have you been ignoring?
What nudge have you been pushing aside?
It could be big or small.
It might be related to your career, like Stephanie. Or it could be about your health, a relationship, or a long-held dream. Whatever it is, I invite you to pause and listen.
Really listen!
Honor your nudges, in this week's Scare Your Soul newsletter and weekly challenge, we explore three steps to honour nudges, they might just be leading you towards your most courageous, fulfilling life.
Want courage challenges sent straight to your inbox every week? Click here to sign up for the Scare Your Soul newsletter!
The Power of Micro-Bravery: Six Weeks of Getting Down to Courage Basics - Week #1
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." - Lao Tzu
Our mission at Scare Your Soul, has always been about inspiring you to push your boundaries and live a more courageous life.
Over the next six weeks, we'll be diving deep into practical strategies for cultivating courage in your daily life.
These concepts stem from years of research, personal experiences, and the collective wisdom of our community.
We're kicking off our series with a concept that might surprise you: when it comes to building courage, smaller is often better.
That's right – we're talking about the power of micro-bravery.
Week #1 Focus: Start Easy... and Embrace the Power of Micro-Bravery
Micro-bravery refers to small, daily acts of courage that push us slightly out of our comfort zones.
The beauty of micro-bravery lies in its accessibility. You don't need to quit your job, move to a new country, or make a life-altering decision to practice courage.
You can start right where you are, with what you have.
Whether you're looking to make a big change or simply want to inject a little more bravery into your routine, in this week's Scare Your Soul newsletter, we explore how small acts of micro-bravery have the power to build confidence, resilience and personal growth.
I'll break down this simple but accessible way to find daily acts of courage and challenge you to take one small micro-brave action in this week's Scare Your Soul Challenge, are you ready to take the challenge?
Want courage challenges sent straight to your inbox every week? Click here to sign up for the Scare Your Soul newsletter!
A New Way of Thinking That Might Just Change Your Life
Are you in the GAP? Or are you in the GAIN?
For years, I found myself stuck in this Gap.
No matter how far I'd come from that shy kid eating lunch alone in the bathroom stall, I always felt I should be braver, more successful, more... everything.
It wasn't until I discovered the concept of "The Gap and The Gain" that I realized I was measuring my progress all wrong.
Perhaps you've been here to?
Maybe you've just given a presentation to your company - a career milestone you've been working towards for years.
Instead of basking in your achievement, you're nitpicking your performance. "I stumbled over that one slide. A real leader would have been smoother.”
Or perhaps you've finally finished that non-fiction book that's been sitting on your nightstand for months.
Instead of feeling proud, you're thinking, "It took me way too long. A truly intellectual person would have breezed through it."
Sound familiar?
If so, you're not alone.
In this week's Scare Your Soul newsletter, we explore and breakdown what Dan Sullivan calls "The Gap" that sneaky space between our achievements and our ideals where happiness goes to die.
I'll break down this simple but powerful concept and show you how you too can Measure Your "Gains" in this weeks Scare Your Soul Challenge, are you ready to take the challenge?