I’ve heard people saying “Be Bold” my entire life. That is so abstract though, what does it even mean?

What does boldness look like for you? Does it mean not going to college and pursing a career in acting or sales? Does it mean living in a different country where you don’t have friends or family or maybe even language fluency? Does it mean asking out your crush and crossing your fingers it goes well?

Boldness means different things to different people. It means taking a risk. It means not letting the possible negative consequence talk you out of trying.

Boldness is courage. It is reinvention. It is swimming against the current. It is risking disappointing those you care about. But boldness is authenticity.

Being bold builds character. You are taking a chance that isn’t guaranteed to reward you, but the possibility of that reward is worth the risk.

Maybe it’s investing in a training program or workshop. Maybe it is changing your career in your 40s. Maybe it is moving to a new state or country. Maybe it is just living on your own.

Being bold is doing something you want to do even when your support network doesn’t understand it.

I’ve done this countless times over my life. Sometimes it has worked out for me. Sometimes my people were right and it was a trainwreck. I have failed in some of the biggest possible ways in my life. But I have tried. And at the end of my life, I will be glad to know that I tried big things. I was bold. What counts as a big thing is only what feels big to you. It could be something as seemingly-small as trying a new clothing style or eating at a new restaurant. But it is trying and new that make that bold for you. Start small. Get comfortable trying and potentially failing. Sometimes you’ll order something new and it will be terrible. Now you know.

Be bold. Try new things. Figure out how to handle the consequences. Your next bold thing becomes even more bold. Learn, grow, experience.

A bold life is a rich life.