Daring Greatly: Share Your Story Summer Writing Contest

 

daring greatly image brene brownIn Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brene Brown states: “Daring greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage.” I realized after reading her books and listening to her talks that I am doing enough. When my focus is on Courage, Compassion and Connection as my goals, I remember that I am good enough.

The last year and a half has been a rollercoaster ride returning to America and getting divorced. I have felt like a failure and I have felt so very sad. For a long time, I thought about closing down We Said Go Travel. I just was not sure why I was doing it or if it was worth the time and effort.

I have really appreciated how people have shared their inspiring stories in my eight travel writing contests. The Summer 2015 Independence Travel Writing Contest is open and I hope that you will consider entering, reading or sharing the articles. Over 1700 writers from 75 countries have participated since I started the contest in January 2013.

In Daring Greatly Brown says: “We have to be able to talk about how we feel, what we need and desire, and we have to be able to listen with an open heart and an open mind.” I have found trusted friends who I can share my story with and who do not judge me. Brown says: “The most valuable and important things in my life came to me when I cultivated the courage to be vulnerable, imperfect, and self-compassionate…it is a long journey from “What will people think?” to “I am enough.” That journey begins with shame resilience, self-compassion, and owning our stories.” I hope you will share one of your stories of freedom in my summer contest.

Vulnerability-BrenneBrownAs Brown says, “Much of the beauty of light owes its existence to the dark. The most powerful moments of our lives happen when we string together the small flickers of light created by courage, compassion, and connection and see them shine in the darkness of our struggles.”

Remember, “Hope happens when: We have the ability to set realistic goals (I know where I want to go). We are able to figure out how to achieve those goals, including the ability to stay flexible and develop alternative routes (I know how to get there, I’m persistent, and I can tolerate disappointment and try again). We believe in ourselves (I can do this!). So, hope is a combination of setting goals, having the tenacity and perseverance to pursue them, and believing in our own abilities. Hope is Plan B.”

The title of her book comes from this quote from Theodore Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

I recommend you watch Brene Brown’s TED talk or read one of her books. I hope you will choose to share your story on We Said Go Travel.

blue brene brown

Lisa Ellen Niver

Lisa Niver is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries on six continents. This University of Pennsylvania graduate sailed across the seas for seven years with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Renaissance Cruises and spent three years backpacking across Asia. Discover her articles in publications from AARP: The Magazine and AAA Explorer to WIRED and Wharton Magazine, as well as her site WeSaidGoTravel. On her award nominated global podcast, Make Your Own Map, Niver has interviewed Deepak Chopra, Olympic medalists, and numerous bestselling authors, and as a journalist has been invited to both the Oscars and the United Nations. For her print and digital stories as well as her television segments, she has been awarded three Southern California Journalism Awards and two National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and been a finalist twenty-two times. Named a #3 travel influencer for 2023, Niver talks travel on broadcast television at KTLA TV Los Angeles, her YouTube channel with over 2 million views, and in her memoir, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.

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