When in doubt, choose “badass”

The other day, a friend and I went to an ethnic bazaar. We were looking at African jewelry and showed each other what we liked. I held a pair of cute shell earrings to my earlobes and waited for her reaction.

“They’re pretty. I can see them on you. That’s your style,” she said. I was convinced and wanted to get them.

Then she pointed to the ones I had my eye on before, but decided to put back on the jewelry rack.

“But these are badass!” She added. “Why not try something different?”

Badass? I liked that!

Remarkably, I felt instantly relieved from the restraint of sticking with the kind of choices I’ve probably made about 3 million times before.

Did you ever notice that these safe and, well, boring choices can actually be burdensome?

It’s like keeping yourself trapped in a box where you know you’re comfortable and accepted. But it holds you back from experimenting, challenging, and boldly reinventing yourself as you wish in each given moment.

Escaping that self-imposed trap might attract criticism from the people who get irritated by us changing, because they themselves might avoid change.

Not sticking to who we (or others) think we should be comes with excitement and a strange sense of freedom.

Not only did I learn a new word that day, but also a lesson that can actually be applied to many areas of life.

Choosing what we know brings us nothing new.

So, now when I have to make a decision, I keep in mind that “Yeah, that’s your style” is more than enough reason to reach for the risky and unfamiliar.

Now, I always consider going for badass!

When was the last time you made a choice that was unusual for you?

With love & courage,