Growing a Brave Heart

When we’re young, our hearts are naturally open. It’s one of the reasons I love working with children—they remind me of our innate trust and authentic loving nature.

As we get older and move through life’s challenges, our hearts often become more protected. One of the ongoing grapplings of adulthood, especially in our relationships and on our purpose paths, is learning how to keep our hearts brave and open.

When we experience hurt, our natural inclination is often to protect ourselves. The more protected we become, however, the more closed we can be to receiving love, connection, and opportunity. At a certain point, the bridge between keeping our hearts safe from harm and allowing ourselves to love and be loved is courage.

Courage is taking the leap. It’s putting our hearts on the line again and being willing to navigate whatever comes next. Having a brave heart is a concept that feels important for me to plant in the minds and hearts of the youth I work with.

Throughout our lives—including in childhood—we encounter moments that call upon our courage. When we begin to see courage as a practice and recognize it as one of our greatest assets for living fully and well, we can intentionally strengthen that muscle over time.

This week, the kids and I explored the concept of courage and what it means to have a brave heart.

Starting with the kindergarteners, I asked them, “What does courage and having a brave heart mean to you?” They each had their own definitions and ways of relating to the idea, but it was clear they already had a grasp on it.

I then asked them to share examples of times they had been courageous. They talked about going to the bathroom at night when it’s dark, going to school on the first day, and swallowing a ladybug. Suddenly, everyone was sharing stories about things they had swallowed that they weren’t supposed to swallow, and I had to gently reroute the conversation away from that theme. 😂

Next, I asked them, “What helps you be brave?” They talked about their families, taking deep breaths, and stretching.

Then I invited them to stand up and explore what courage feels like in their bodies. One by one, each child created a pose that represented courage, and the rest of us followed their lead, embodying their brave-body movement together.

From there, we moved into our art project. Each student received a shield template labeled “My Brave Heart Shield” and filled it with drawings, words, and symbols representing what helps them feel brave.

I did the same activity with the older kids and heard some incredible stories of courage: evacuating during a house fire, being swarmed by wasps after accidentally disturbing a nest, or going to the hospital after getting a metal ball stuck in an ear.

I loved hearing their stories and witnessing them integrate these experiences into their expressive arts projects. They were deeply engaged in both the conversation and the creative process. It was reassuring to see how much they wanted to discuss and explore this topic.

The truth is, we never outgrow our need for a brave heart. If anything, I’d argue that the deeper we move into life, the more courage is required of us.

My intention with this exercise is to plant a seed: having a brave heart matters. And when we have support around us, the possibilities for what we can face, try, and overcome are endless.