Bravery - There really is such a thrill to being scared, but doing it anyway. I bet most people can recall a time when they celebrated this kind of moment - the rush of adrenaline that swooped in and put fresh air in their lungs. I can recount dozens of times, in the last almost 14 years of Eleanor’s life, when I witnessed this and reflected in awe that she looked straight in the face of her fear, and did it anyway. When she was 4, it was dancing in the recital on the Majestic stage. When she was 6, it was riding her first “upside down” roller coaster. When she was 7, it was bluff jumping on Table Rock lake. When she was 13, is was joining a cheer team with none of her friends as one of the youngest on the squad. These little victories built her self-confidence, pushed her fears, and ultimately allowed her to experience joy that she otherwise would have missed. 

It is so incredibly beautiful to witness, every single time.

It was July 2012, and I had been home full-time for about six months with Eleanor and Tripp both being under two years old. BJ was traveling for work which meant I had transitioned from the fast-paced, dynamic and social world of event planning to having little to no conversation with adults on a daily, or even nightly, basis. A friend of mine called to tell me about Rodan + Fields, and honestly, my gut reaction was to hang up the phone. I feared what I assumed, I feared the unknown, I feared perceptions, I feared failure, and maybe even success. Could I really jump into an industry I feared in almost every way? What would my friends think? What if I walked into Starbucks and people hid because “that girl” was coming in? What if I put all my efforts in and fell on my face? 

I’m not sure what made me do it, but I was SO scared and decided to do it anyway. Turns out, I was more scared of not facing my fears head on and missing out what could be. And well, similar to Eleanor…. I am so thankful for that moment of bravery. And the days, weeks, months… and well, a decade later that I’m still choosing to be brave.

Looking back, that bravery has changed everything in our little world. When I began sharing R+F, I hoped I would make a dollar instead of spending one. I hoped my sensitive skin would be able to handle the products. I hoped that I would be able to be present with my kids while growing something on the side. For the past decade, R+F has been our livelihood. I have transitioned through our ENTIRE product line for personal use, and genuinely love every regimen for different reasons and in different seasons. Eleanor and Tripp are now teenagers who have watched me choose brave daily - as I continue to share the products and business opportunity with others. Eleanor also has become a skincare junkie using every appropriate product for a teenage girl (check out these Lashboost results - she's not wearing mascara!)

Sometimes brave means knowing yourself and being honest enough with yourself NOT to do something. I’ve learned that through the eyes of my children just as much. When Dorothy Grace sat in the chair last week to get her ears pierced, she had the piercing guns up to her ears and a crowd of witnesses to cheer her on, but bravely left unpierced. Following this season, Tripp called his club soccer coach to let him know that he has been struggling at the level and with the team he plays on… and that to continue his soccer journey meant that he needed to find a new one. There is such beauty in that bravery, too. Bravery doesn’t always mean doing it scared.

 

We all really just need to have a Come-To-Jesus with our own stories… we have one life to live here - are we making it matter? Sounds silly that I believe my business allows me to live life on purpose, and yet… because of my business, doors have opened to help, equip, mentor, serve, recognize, partner and sharpen others. My business reminds me to put others' interests above my own. My business reminds me to demonstrate a strong work ethic to my kids balanced with a great amount of play.

Basically, I’d love to encourage you to choose brave today. Maybe personally, by admitting where fear has held you back; maybe professionally, by saying yes to whatever stirrings you have; maybe relationally, by finally asking that friend to lunch; maybe actively, by trying something new; maybe in reconciliation, by making that phone call you’ve been avoiding… or maybe by stopping something that has either hurt, exhausted or extended you beyond what is healthy.  Whatever your brave is, take that step today. 

I promise you’ll find such beauty in this boldness!

 

- Nichole Nordeman

The [YOU] that makes me brave is without a doubt the relationship I have with Christ - do you know him? I'd love to share more about what He means to me and how He longs to know you, too. I'm always here for that conversation, friend!