Choose to be Brave

In high school, I chose French as my required world language. As I learned about the nuances of French grammar, I recall it being odd that the translation for “I am hungry” was “J’ai faime,” which, if translated literally back to English, meant “I have hunger.” I didn’t think much about it at the time, but I thought it was a cute quirk, so I started using the literal English translation for different feelings. Most notably, during gameplay with friends, I would yell, “I have fear!” Coincidentally, French also uses conjugations of “to have” for fear.

English to French translation
I am scared → J’ai peur

French to English literal translation
J'ai peur → I have fear

It was interesting to see a different perspective on describing feelings. To have hunger instead of being hungry. To have fear instead of being afraid. This distinction resonates with me because I’ve been learning about labels in my mindfulness practice. While I can’t always control my feelings, I’m not necessarily defined by them.

The perspective switch from labeling myself based on a feeling vs. simply having a feeling feels much more empowering. I am not my feelings. My fears don’t define me because I can choose to be brave and overcome them. Every time I fight against my fears, I prove to myself that the fears and stories holding me back aren’t true. And truthfully, the outcome of the task doesn’t matter. I don’t need to prove anything to the world. What matters is that I proved to myself that I am strong enough to overcome. If success escapes me today, I can choose to be brave again tomorrow.