We have so many past hurts that shape our view of ourselves and the world. Past experience has a way of remaining in our soul and our psyche, so we build barriers and walls in order to protect ourselves. We don't want to repeat the same pain. We don't want to feel that way ever again.

Enter bravery. Bravery is when we move forward into something that has caused us pain in the past, and we do it knowing full well that we could get hurt. Bravery is when we continue to operate with an open heart, despite past cracks and bruises.

There are so many ways in life we can practice the vulnerability it takes to be brave.

And we do - you are being brave right now, just by reading this blog, just by moving forward into the unknown and asking questions.

Our protective walls will only keep us in the same spot, ensuring we will never be free from our past. We move forward while taking calculated risks, despite not being able to control other people and their reactions. We implement boundaries with friends and loved ones. We have difficult conversations. We say what's on our mind. We move forward into new relationships after heartbreak. We put our heart on the line, even when the future is unknown, and we know we could get hurt.

A few women I know personally are being brave every single day.

One is stumbling through new recovery but getting up each time, and enacting the faith to try again.

One is being vulnerable with a new partner, even though every cell in her body is reminding her what has happened in the past.

One is helping a friend through the grief of her dad's death, even though it is triggering her own loss.

One is seeking answers and seeking strength through yoga, meditation, and spiritual practice, even when she feels lost and unclear.

Our bravery inspires others to be brave, and we heal each other along the way. To be in this life is to be affected by our past. Our past can be traumatic or not; regardless, our past shapes us. Our past has the power to shut us down from love, from ourselves, and from life - forever.

The only way to reshape the past is to enter situations that may trigger us, and notice how we react. It might be painful. It might burn and ache. But if we can move through the trigger, if we can witness our past pain emerge and be able to burn through it for the sake of what we want, we can overcome the past and create a new future.

In reality, there is no way to wall ourselves off from the pains of life, from the pains of love, or from the pains of becoming who we want to be. The only way to ensure safety from pain is to stop putting ourselves out there.

The risk is worth it. We will not break open to the point of no return. Some of these past scars are begging to be healed. And to do so, requires a brave, open heart. I'm not saying to dive into the deep end with no regard for yourself. Chiseling down walls that we've necessarily built up over time as a means to survival needs to be done slowly, and with a compassionate understanding of Self. Start by forgiving yourself. Start with self-love. Start by looking in the mirror, and reminding yourself that you are loved, that you are brave, and that you CAN do this.

Start small, and remember all the others around you who are also being brave. Let them inspire and support you. Today, right now, acknowledge all the ways you are brave.