It would be anyone’s wish to live a life minus regrets. To reach the end of the day, a week, a month, and year… a life time… and be able to look back and have no thoughts of what you wish you would have done or said differently.

I wish that I could say that I've lived a life without regrets, but I can’t. There are times when I wished that I would have walked away, times when I wish I would have stood up, and others when I wish that I would have taken a risk and been courageous.

These are the thoughts that make me realize just how much bravery is required to live our lives, especially to live them fully.

Living leaves us with scars. These scars come in two forms. The external ones that you can cover with clothing and makeup, and the internal ones that you cover with smiles and insincerity.

Insincerity because these internal scars, the ones that damage our hearts and minds, contribute to us behaving in ways that cause us to live a life that isn't fully true to who we are at our essence.

Once we experience loss, rejection, criticism, or discouragement we begin to second guess ourselves, and live a life with self-doubt. Sometimes believing that we deserve less.

I keep trying to think of a way to describe the fear that I feel because of the scars on my heart and mind. The times when I have been made to feel inadequate, not good enough, of lacking in some way have resulted in a person who has, at times, not reacted in the way I should have.

When a boy poured beer on me after a disagreement I excused this behavior and took the blame. I should have walked away, I stayed.

The time a friend was talked down to and I said nothing. I should have stood up. I sat.

The times my heart felt something; hurt, love, confusion… and I have remained quiet. I didn’t take a risk.

I didn’t live courageously.

Life has risks. They are not the ones that dare you to jump out of an airplane. The risks come in loving someone, even though the other person could leave. They come in starting a conversation with a stranger, even though you could be rejected… and in a thousand other, seemingly small, ways.

The risks come when, despite your fears and scars, you live your life without regrets — and what courage that is.