#MotivationMonday (+ Author Recommendation)
Good morning, beautiful! First of all, I would just like to say that I'm grateful to have you here, and I hope you have a much better Monday than you're expecting. You never know, it might just be the best day of your life.
Anyway, you now know the drill. I'm here to *try* brightening up what seems to be the gloomiest day of the week. If today goes well, the next six days can only improve. So, in an attempt to make this week more enjoyable than your last, I give you my newest #MotivationMonday.
"I don't think you have to do something so big to be brave. It's the little things that are harder anyway."
- Morgan Matson, Since You've Been Gone
To be fair, I probably should have warned you that every week will probably come with a literature recommendation of some sort. Like I said in my previous post, I have a thing for language. As a result, I have a never-ending note on my phone that I add to every time I come across a word or phrase or paragraph that I love. Typically, these are found in whatever book I happen to be reading at the time. Thus, a majority of material I have for #MotivationMonday comes from my favorite novels. Honestly, I hope you’re seeing this as a bonus. Not only do you get a great quote, but you have a new book title to throw on your ‘to-read’ list.
If that sounds exciting to you, this week is going to be like winning the lottery. While this quote does come from a specific read, I just don’t think I could live with myself if I only recommended one of Morgan Matson’s novels. This quote comes from her third book, Since You’ve Been Gone, but she also has three others: Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, Second Chance Summer, and The Unexpected Everything. If you’re looking for an easy-breezy, summer contemporary novel, don’t walk, RUN, to your nearest library to pick one of these up. I’m telling you, all four books will check off every item on your list of qualifications for a good summer read. There’s romance, friendship, self-discovery, humor. One in particular (Second Chance Summer) will even make you cry. I’m telling you, if I could pick to write as well as anyone, I would choose Morgan Matson hands down. Seriously, these are the perfect books to grab, especially if you’re in a reading slump and want something light-hearted and fun to help get you out or if you're on the hunt for the prefect beach book.
Now that the recommendation is all taken care of, let’s get down to business: the quote. In all honesty, there isn’t anything overly beautiful about how these sentences are written. There’s no fancy word choice, no elegant description. Instead, it’s simply incredibly insightful. The world we live in seems obsessed with living by the motto ‘go big or go home.’ To me, it feels like we skip past the small things people are accomplishing in their everyday life, only paying attention to those who have gone above and beyond all expectations, succeeding in ways most people can only imagine. In no way am I trying to diminish these achievements, but most of these people, as with anyone who begins a challenging endeavor, knew how much they were up against from the beginning. They were aware of the risks and the slim likelihood of their victory. I’m sure, in some sense, they were ready to accept failure. While it still took bravery for them to begin, everything was all going to be okay if they failed, since they were, in a way, prepared.
But what about the little fears we face in everyday life, the things we’re supposed to be able to do without any problem? Maybe you’re terrified of telling someone how you feel. Is that a life-or-death situation? No. In all reality, it’s not meant to be scary. It’s meant to be easy, but it’s not. How about standing up for someone being bullied? Again, the concept itself appears to be so simple. Get up, tell the kid to knock it off, and move on, yet in real life, it takes a lot of courage to stand up for someone. The same goes for, leaving home for the first time, speaking up for what you believe in (bonus points if its an unpopular opinion), and flying on a plane for the first time (or killing a spider or swimming or doing anything you’re afraid of). Somehow, these actions are never deemed brave. Instead, they’re considered the little things in life, the ones you just need to grow up and deal with.
Well, this quote, and I, are here to tell you that’s not always the truth. You are brave, every time you step out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s speaking in public or talking to a stranger sitting next to you on the bus, it’s okay if that’s as ‘big’ of an action that your bravery brings you to accomplish. For me, sharing my thoughts in front of an entire college class was scary enough, and there wasn't anything wrong with that. In all honesty, it was great. It took guts, and I grew through pushing myself, even if it seemed like such a small task. Ultimately, I’m proud of myself, and I’m proud of you, for every single time you have the courage to do something that absolutely terrifies you, especially if it’s something “everyone else can do.” Just remember, sometimes it is the seemingly smallest things that are the hardest. If it scares you, even in the slightest, you are brave being brave for trying, I promise.
keep making me proud
xoxo madison