I have been giving this question a lot of thought lately. Last week, I jokingly said I was brave for baring my face without make-up. But to a lot of people, something that simple actually is a pretty bold move.

But what actually IS bravery? People call me or other people dealing with chronic illnesses or disabilities brave, but are we actually brave for just doing what we have to do? I'm not going to lie, when I was in the hospital last year, I was scared. Like, really scared. But if I didn't push for the operations, I would still be in pain every single day. And although it is scary, we do what we have to do to keep going.

Likewise, is a soldier brave for doing what he is legally obligated to do? Are people who suffer extreme circumstances brave because they were forced to endure them?

It is a difficult concept to try and grasp and I'm not yet sure I can tell you I understand the meaning of the word. You often hear in pithy speeches that it isn't an absence of fear, but doing something that frightens you. However, there are many times when we are called upon to be brave without much say of our own. The actual definition is doing something that frightens you, or strength in the face of pain or grief. But what if we aren't all that strong all of the time? What if it something you simply need to do to survive?

What are your thoughts? I'm not sure if this post was very cohesive, but I would love to know what you think about bravery.