I went to yoga this morning, and I never go that I don’t leave feeling courageous for having shown up. My practice is inconsistent and giantly labored and huffy and puffy, but oh well. I did it. I showed up and sweat every last molecule of liquid out of my pours and I came out feeling a bit more open, a bit more confirmed, a bit more aware of who I am in the world. This is a miracle.

I was thinking about our next two chapters in Breathing Room — about offering ourselves permission and about channeling our inner Navy SEAL — and I decided I’d put them together for today’s post. After all, it’s Friday.

What occurs to me this morning is this question: Are you and I giving ourselves permission to be the strong, resilient, competent, resourceful, skilled versions of ourselves? Or are we editing ourselves down to a watery version of who we are because we’re afraid? Are we allowing ourselves to be as big as we could be, or are we worried that when we really go for it, our courage we will garner such contempt, that it will bury us?

What would it be like for you and me to give ourselves permission to live out of that warrior within? To trust that brave, battle-tested soul of ours? To lean in his or her direction a bit? To trust our skill, our experience, our instincts just a bit more?

I have found that the lies about ourselves are easier to believe than the truth. What would it be like for you to spend some time with the truth about yourself today and then courageously live from that truth? I’m going to spend the weekend with these thoughts, and I encourage you to do the same.

Is there an area of your life where God is calling you out from your places of hiding? An area of your life where he wants you to be courageous, trust yourself, trust Him? Take this post as my way of co-signing on your emergence.

This is my message for you and for me today: Breathe in the courage on the inhale and breathe out the self-doubt on the exhale. That will be our practice for today and for the weekend.

And, just maybe, it might be helpful for you to do something confirming or empowering to solidify these thoughts in your body. Do something physical or active to seal this idea that you have a strong warrior within. And then, by the grace of God, we will all begin to let her out into the world a bit more.

Giving ourselves permission to channel our inner badassness. Yes, that.

All my love,

Leeana

P.S. While we’re giving ourselves permission to be freaking awesome, let’s give each other permission to be freaking awesome, too!!!!!