Reflect on courageous moments

When you look back on your life so far, which moments felt the most courageous?

Take a minute and bring one of those memories to mind.

Go back in time to a younger version of you. A time when you chose yourself and did something brave that felt right and aligned, even if it was scary or uncertain.

You may recall many examples, but choose just one for now.

Once you’ve chosen your moment, acknowledge the courage of that past version of you. Notice how they were laying the groundwork for the life you’re living today.

See how that single decision opened new possibilities. Thank that version of yourself for taking such an aligned step and changing your life in ways you couldn’t yet see.

Next, bring to mind another past version of you at a different age, making another courageous decision. Thank that version of you as well. Send them appreciation, love, and a sense of protection.

Recognize how that moment also helped create the path that led you here.

If you'd like, repeat this a few more times.

Soon, you may start to see that these memories connect. Moments of courage, clarity, and wisdom that guided you to the present. Over and over, you were invited to choose yourself. And you accepted the invitation. 

Feel the steadiness, confidence, and clarity this awareness may bring you. Allow yourself to receive love and respect for everything you’ve moved and grown through. 

This practice is inspired by one of my favorite guided meditations by Chani Nicholas. Each time I listen, I feel deep gratitude for my former self and awe at how those choices shaped my life now. And with every listen, new courageous moments come to mind, ones I haven’t thought about in years.

What do you feel when you reflect on your courageous moments? Does something stand out that ties these memories together? 

For me, what ties all these courageous acts together is that every single one began with me feeling terrified. Change can be frightening. And yet, I wouldn’t trade the outcomes.

Many of these results were things I didn’t even know to wish for, yet they arrived exactly when I needed them, for the person I was becoming.

I’m proud that younger me believed I deserved to choose myself. That belief always led me to the next best step.

The same is true now. I’m still making brave choices that feel scary in the moment and trust that they will lead me to people, places, and opportunities I can’t yet see or predict.

In the present, you too are building on the choices that brought you here. Let your courageous decisions continue to guide and support you in whatever comes next. 

And remember to pause again in the future, to look back, honor your courage, and notice all the ways it has carried you to where you are.