Living Bold in 2020
What would you do if fear didn’t exist?
It’s the new year, which means new goals and new resolutions. From the time I was about 15 years old, I would sit in front of the computer the first week of January and type out a long list of goals I wanted to achieve by the end of the year. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was an easy way to get disappointed when I looked at my list December 31 and saw that I failed to meet some of my goals. So, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve narrowed it down from 30 goals to one word.
I have one word I want to look back at my year and say that I’ve lived out. This year, I want to live BOLD.
Bold typically isn’t the word used to describe me. Actually, I don’t think it’s ever been a word used to describe me. It’s never been listed as one of the qualities I feel I possess, which is exactly why I picked it.
In the past, I’ve thought of “bold” as someone who has to be front and center, speaking their opinion, and being confrontational about their feelings. I used to think it consisted of power moves and taking risks. While this can be the case, I’m redefining what this word means for me.
In my life, living bold means saying more “yes’s” to God and more “no’s” to myself. We are going to have times when we feel God calling us from a place of content to a place where we might question if His plans for us are really good. When we find ourselves in these moments, I think we react out of fear; and the urge to say “no” to Him will be tempting.
God has shown me SO many times that the thing I feel like He is taking away is actually a blessing because He has something so much bigger that will be an even greater blessing. Living bold is having full confidence that God has a better purpose that I need to say, “yes” to.
I want to be bold with my relationships and how I love others. This means being intentional in the conversations I have and choosing to be a friend who cares. I believe living bold is loving people well and that’s done through selflessly putting aside time to listen and catch up with what’s going on in their life.
The one area of my life that stands out to me is in my classes. Before class I like to go on my phone, update my calendar or read a book. Nothing’s wrong with any of those things, but I could use this time to talk to the people sitting beside me. I will never have the opportunity to build the relationships and have the conversations with people like I have now.
So, when it’s easy to keep to myself, I want to have conversations and build relationships that matter. I want to hear how people are actually doing, not just simply ask the question out of habit. Living bold is knowing people beyond the surface and having the conversations I wouldn’t usually have.
I want to be bold with seeking new adventures. I want to explore new places and step out of what I’m used to. In weeks of routine, I want to have adventure and spontaneity. I want to discover new things and see outside of my small perspective and discover how other people see things. Living bold is switching routine and being adventurous.
I want to live bold and not doubt my abilities. I want to follow opportunities that I’m passionate about. I’m going to apply to the internship my fear would usually talk me out of. I’m going to teach a bible study even though I’ve never done it before. I’m going to share my testimony and tell others about Jesus even when it feels uncomfortable.
I’ve discovered a lot about myself and my relationships with others recently. It’s okay to be gentle but also strong, brave but also struggle, and nice but also not a doormat. Navigating the balance of these things is something I strive to work on. Living bold is being confident in who I am.
I want to live bold with kindness. It’s easy to be distracted with my schedule and with what I need to get done that I neglect intentionally serving others. Be a LIGHT in someone’s day, spread positivity, and do something for someone selflessly. Just as we need encouragement, other people need it too.
Be the bright part of someone’s day. Don’t be afraid to do nice things and go out of your way for someone. Small acts of kindness can be a big impact for gratefulness. I wrote about kindness in this blog (click “kindness”). Living bold is being kind.
I believe that this will look different for everyone in different seasons of our lives. Living bold doesn’t have to be big, glamourous acts for everyone to see. It’s a series of small steps I choose to make every day that require me to step out of what’s comfortable and do what’s uncomfortable.
It could look like giving others, and yourself, grace when you really don’t think it’s deserved. Living bold could look like loving those people in your circle who are sometimes hard to love. It could be applying for the internship you think is too far of a long shot, but you really want it.
Living bold needs to be getting over myself and what I want and looking at what God wants so that He can do a work in me and the lives of others around me for His glory. It’s a series of small acts of obedience that lead to a lifetime of intentional habits.
Whatever you might think living bold looks like, it’s important to recognize that the main goal is to get outside of ourselves, and what we fear, to live in pursuit of what God has for us.
I want my life to be evidence that God is working, and He is good. I want my year to show a bunch of “yes’s” to God and a lot of “no’s” to myself. I want this year to be fearless and intentional.
I want this year to be bold!
“And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more BOLD to speak the word without fear.” Philippians 1:14
2 Comments
ExoRank.com
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Karan
You really should write a book, at least contribute to a devotional book. You are THAT good!