I opened up my Facebook newsfeed this morning to get an image for today’s blog (from the HeartStories photo albums of our Girls Night Out events) the first thing I saw was this quote from John Acuff:
“Be brave enough to be bad at something new.”
It was like an arrow to the soul because it’s so true. Trying something new is difficult, precisely because you’ll absolutely be bad at it at first. None of us enjoy being bad at anything. And certainly not in public. I’ve been really bad at almost everything I’ve tried with running HeartStories, and most of it has been “in public” and so you’d think it would be easier now, but it’s not. Not really. I’m crystal clear about why I do it now, so I insist on finding the courage. But the fear of failure runs so deep for most of us.
It’s never easy to begin.
That’s why, when I saw this image of Yvonne from last month’s GNO, I instantly this was the story for today. This is my friend Yvonne Brown, she’s a local mother and writer for Lifestyle Frisco magazine. Following her recent experience supporting a close friend through a breast cancer diagnosis and the subsequent treatment process, she discovered the wonderful work Frisco based, National Breast Cancer Foundation undertakes nationwide, and felt compelled to do something BIGGER! She’s not a fundraiser. In fact, she has a 20-year background in corporate operations and customer service.
But she decided to be brave enough to try something new.
Partnering with NBCF, she’s raising money for their Hope Kit program through her very own fundraiser, “Filled with Hope”. Hope Kits are mailed to breast cancer patients while they navigate an uncertain, and often dark, journey of treatment. The boxes are filled with thoughtful items that patients have said are soothing and encouraging while undergoing breast cancer treatment and chemotherapy. It is considered a tangible expression of hope and supports re-enforcing the message that ‘you are not alone in this journey’. (This “journey” includes a new woman being diagnosed every 2 minutes, and one dying every 13!)
Currently, there are now over 1,000 women on the waitlist to receive these Hope Kits.
A “waitlist” means there aren’t enough supplies to send. No supplies = no kits! As soon as Yvonne learned about this, she decided to be brave enough, to care enough, to be ‘bad’ at something new. She not only set up her own fundraiser, which ends of Sept 4th, through which 100% of the funds go to NBCF to purchase these Hope Kits. She’s been running the fundraiser all summer and I’ve watched her grow in so much courage every step of the way. She’s live-streamed multiple times, sharing her passion behind this cause. She stood up in front of 100+ women at our last girls night out to courageously share her heart. Then on her birthday on 9/21, she’s hosting a “packing party” where you can come and pack your own sponsored box(es) at the ‘Filled with Hope’ celebration at Brookielynns Bungalow in the Rail District downtown Frisco. It would thrill my heart to see you get involved in what Yvonne is doing.
Give to her campaign.
Give for the women these boxes will encourage to keep going. Give to encourage Yvonne to keep going. But especially today, give because Yvonne inspires you to be brave enough to be bad at something new. It takes tremendous courage to be willing to ‘put yourself out there’ for a cause you care about.
What’s the thing you want to do, but you’re afraid of the embarrassment of being ‘bad’ at it?
Women like me, Yvonne, and the rest of the HeartStories community, will be standing here cheering you on.
Be brave enough to be bad at something new.
You will make a difference.
to more love,
Crystal
P.S. I’m trying something new two weeks from tonight, by hosting our first “sports-related” GNO. It’s Football 101 GNO, I might be bad at football, but the guys leading us are certainly not. And our team knows how to host a girls night out, like nobodies business. So gather a couple of girlfriends and come join us. Be brave enough to try something new together! (loads of laughs included, on the house!)
Photo credit Vanessa Corral Photography
