Be Brave, Footsteps

During the holiday season, we all have traditions that we follow.  One for our family is a large advent calendar that walks through each day of December leading up to Christmas. There is a companion book by Ann Voskamp that shares encouraging messages of hope around the Christmas season for each day of the month. 
Yesterday, I read a quote from the book that, for me, sums up the end of 2020 and is a call to action for 2021.   

“When your heart is beautiful, it makes your footsteps brave.”- Ann Voskamp

Who has been brave this year?  Those who chose to jump on social media and complain about how 2020 is a dumpster fire? Those who sat in team meetings complaining about how hard their days have become because they were forced to use technology in their classroom? The people who wrote everything off by simply sharing “hashtag 2020”?  Unfortunately, no. 

The people who found success this year were those who took all the challenges that came and harnessed the chaos into a creative potential to develop something new and better.  To innovate, to learn, and to grow.  
Books were read, puzzles were solved, sidewalks were explored, projects were completed, discoveries were made, passions were discovered, and lives were changed for the better. 
 
I’m not denying that 2020 didn’t hurt our world.  Families lost loved ones who didn’t need to be lost.  There is a significant amount of bad reactions, press, and opinions out there.  

However, looking forward, with a beautiful heart, we can be brave.  Bravery isn’t born of knowledge or power but from the heart.  This bravery inspires passion, creativity, innovation, and excitement.  

I can see a beautiful heart’s excitement in my children as they wait for Christmas morning.  I used to see it in my students’ eyes when they asked to personalize their project in a unique direction and I said, “yes”.  I can feel that excitement as tomorrow comes because nothing is guaranteed, but so much can be experienced in a new day. 
​
If beautiful hearts make “footsteps brave”, then let's start building our hearts. My hope is that there is that the beautiful hearts spread in every community, school, and neighborhood, so more footsteps can choose to make positive impacts on the days to come. 

Be brave, beautiful hearts.