Journeying into Brave

 

claim it.  all of it.  release what no longer serves you.  journey forward.  be unashamed.  be unapologetic. love yourself anyway.  – Alex Elle

The English major in me, has been obsessed with reading ever since I can remember.  When I was younger, it was graphic novels, mysteries, and silly paranormal romances. Now that I am older it is a plethora of different fictions, memoirs, and poetry.  This is why I have ended and, now, started my last couple of blog entries with quotes, especially those from Alex Elle.

She is someone whose work has captured me in a way that has reminded me of my own personal journey through college and life.  From what I have read, a lot of her work is influenced by the importance and the foundation of self-discovery, self trust, and self love.  And while I know I touched upon that topic a little bit in my last blog post about my love for Valentines Day, as I have been reflecting over the theme of my blog this past week,  “Be Bold.  Be Brave.  Be You;”  I realized that a lot of my theme is rooted in this idea, this mentality of self worth and self love.

 Me –  Being someone who can naturally shy away from situations in which I am the focus of attention like job interviews, asking someone for help, etc., and attempting to conquer that fear has a lot to do with self love.  You have to be comfortable enough in your skin to know that a little attention; a little glow from a spotlight will not be the end of the world.

For example, two weeks ago, I was tasked with being the facilitator for a panel discussion.  While I was pretty nervous during the day leading up to it, I found that once I got there, my nerves were not as strong.  It almost baffled me a little bit.  Here I was, about to be the main bridge of conversation between our student panelists and our student audience and I felt strangely calm.  Now, if you have read any of my other blog posts, you know that I do not speak in
public. I do not like talking to large crowds. I barely volunteer to raise my hand in a classroom setting, so maybe you might be wondering, “What was different this time?”   My honest answer to that questions is really just my mentality, my overall mindset, and my overall relationship with myself.  And I think I owe a big portion of that to poetry, prose, and words in general.

While I know not everyone is as into poetry like myself, I know a lot of people are into motivation quotes, and inspirational words, and if that is the case, I encourage anyone who maybe feeling nervous or doubtful of themselves to read Alex Elle, Rudy Francisco, Rupi Kaur, or any inspirational poet, thinker, or person in general you can relate to.  Really listen to their words, and harness your energy for the week from them.

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Please Note: The views of our student bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the UAlbany Advisement Services Center. These are their stories  –  their voices.

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About the Author:

Brittany N.
Class of 2017
Major: English
Minors: Psychology and Education
Blog Theme:
Be Brave. Be Bold. Be You.