I don’t think of myself as a brave person. I’m a rule-follower–especially safety rules. As a kid, I always read the brochure in the seat back pocket in front of me and looked around for the nearest emergency exit. As a teenager, I shied away from a lot of risky behavior because I was afraid of the consequences. Becoming a parent probably brought my first lessons in real bravery, when I had to navigate scary situations without showing my fear. Then my husband thought I should learn how to use clipless cycling shoes.
When I was learning to use clipless shoes (which clip to the pedals for extra power), I had to face down my fears every time I got on my bike. That’s because for the first few weeks almost every ride ended with my knees looking like this.
It was then that I realized that being brave didn’t mean not being afraid, it meant facing down my fears and doing it anyway. So I found it interesting that the on-line Cambridge English Dictionary defines “brave” this way:
showing no fear of dangerous or difficult things
It doesn’t say having no fear, it says showing no fear.
[Tweet “Being Brave Doesn’t Mean Being Fearless”]
As a parent, I had to show no fear as I rode with my child to the emergency room.
As an attorney, I have to show no fear when I argue my case.
On my bike, I have to push through the fear as I approach a hill.
But is that being brave? I try to avoid dangerous things, but I am not afraid to do difficult things. I am willing to work hard, study hard, train hard and do what it takes to rise to the challenge. But I don’t think of that as being brave. Maybe the working/studying/training/practicing take a lot of the fear away. Of course, there still is that moment when I find myself standing up before a judge, lining up at a race, or cresting a hill when I have to calm the butterflies and remind myself:
You’ve Got This!
When are you brave?
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I agree with you–being brave and being fearless are not the same thing. To me being brave is pushing past those fears.
Funny how we both wrote about those clipless pedals!
They take bravery for sure!
Yes for me being brave is acknowledging the fear but pushing past my comfort zone…still working on this!
I’m at my bravest when things are actually terrible and I have no choice. I surprise myself, actually. Good post, really.
I guess you can count on yourself in tough times – a good thing to know!
Brave and fearless and not the same I agree! Oh those first few times with the clips in were so scary
love this! You do have this- I think being prepared does help and just makes you smart!
You sound like a very brave person to me, I have always enjoyed riding bikes but have never heard of clipless shoes. I don’t think i would be brave enough to try them!
It’s very confusing because it actually means that your shoes clip to your bike pedals, so basically your feet are locked onto the pedals.
Courage is one of my fav topics. Probably because we need it almost every day. Even for the little things. It’s something we should be teaching our children when they are wee little ones…bravery comes in all sizes, and life commands us to have it more often than not.
I think kids are naturally brave and we tend to make them doubt with our own fears. Of course, we do have to teach them about dangers they don’t understand – like why it’s not a good idea to run into the street. 😉
“I try to avoid dangerous things, but I am not afraid to do difficult things.” I love this!!! I learned to ride a bike 2 years ago and was terrified, and have since participated in many rides and even 3 triathlons. But I am still afraid to go clip less. You are inspiring me!
(P.S. my book Some Nerve: Lessons Learned While Becoming Brave has a chapter on adults learning to bike :))
Oh, once you face down that fear, there will be no turning back. I love riding clipless even if it still scares me on steep hills!
Hi Coco, this is really a nice matter you shared here. My character is little bit same to you as I don’t think myself as a brave person. It is a very good practice that you always maintain a safety rules. Thanks for sharing this.
Nice article! What a good reminder. I was visiting with my mom on the phone today and I told her sometimes I do things I am a little afraid of just to prove to myself I can do it. Keep up the good work!
That’s a great way to challenge yourself and keep growing!
Oh gosh, clipping in terrifies me!
I think I am brave when my son is hurting or when I have to be strong for our family. Other than that, I’m just not.
Oh, I would’ve given up on those clipless shoes very quickly, so to me, you are definitely brave!
Excellent point — showing no fear does not mean having no fear. I’m not brave enough to clip into the pedals at all.
I’m going to use this post as inspiration to finally make myself use my clipless bike shoes outside. I’ve been “practicing” on the spin bike but I’ve been irrationally terrified to take the leap (fall?) out on the road/trail. Thank you for this!
Hah! Just remember to unclip BEFORE you come to a stop. That’s how I fell the very first time. And wear capris. 😉
I guess you can say I’m brave trying new foods. Before I started this journey I rarely tried something new. Now I’m more open to experimentation, both at home and eating out.
WOW! You could have been describing me in that first paragraph!! This is true about me, too: I try to avoid dangerous things, but I am not afraid to do difficult things!
And, the first time I rode clipped into pedals, I loved it… until the end of the ride I when I stepped back with the foot that was still clipped in! Yep, I fell flat on my back with bike in tow (toe?)!! 🙂
Oh my gosh! That would have been a sight to see!
I feel brave when I get out of my head and push myself outside of my comfort zone. I’m not afraid to do difficult things..love that!
Thanks for sharing with the fitness health & happiness community. Have a great weekend!
I can’t imagine using clips on a bike. My knees would look like yours, only worse!
Thanks for linking up!
That’s such a great point and I hadn’t thought about it like that! Being brave definitely does not necessarily being fearless. To add to that it also does not mean being reckless. It means facing your fears and pushing through.