Grace in Style: THANKFUL THURSDAY: BOLD BRAVE YOU

Bold Brave You.

My anthem of this past year.

Recently, I was reflecting with a friend about how scary and nerve-wracking it can be to take creative risks and share what you've created with the world. Yet, what kind of life would I be living if I never took risks? The incredible opportunities I've had in just this past year are the fruits of being bold and trusting the Great Storyteller to work in unimaginable ways through me. There is no way that I could've come close to imagining the stories written so far in my life. So this is my encouragement for you:

BE BOLD. Go ahead and take those risks. Don't live with regret and wish you had taken that chance in the future. Without taking the necessary risks in life, you would never know who you may become and what you can actually achieve.

BE BRAVE. Don't let the world dampen the brilliance of your dreams. It's so easy to cower in fear, but I've found that whenever something is trying to dampen your spirit, it's because you are meant to do something great. Fight the good fight well and without fear overcoming who you are meant to be.

BE YOU. Be true to your story. Don't try to fit yourself in someone else's story because the pages won't match up. Be who you are, because your story is unique & beautiful in its own way.

Some of the bravest souls I know are the thousands of children fighting childhood cancer. In the United States, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease past infancy. Every 3 minutes, a child is diagnosed with cancer. In 2015, about 10,380 children under the age of 15 in the United States alone will be diagnosed with cancer.

I don’t know about you, but for me that’s a heartbreaking statistic. It’s hard to think that so many families will be faced with the possible reality of losing their child before they have a chance to graduate high school, get married, or have children of their own.

Another unpalatable reality is the fact that less than 4 percent of funds for cancer research is allotted specifically toward pediatric cancer research.

However, St. Baldrick's is working towards changing that reality. I am so happy that they are this week's Sevenly campaign. With each T-Shirt purchase made until September 21st, $7 will go towards funding childhood cancer research.

PLUS, I'm so excited that Sevenly is giving my readers 10% OFF with code "joanna"!!! Order as much as you want, whenever you want since this code is good for any order on their site!

So, what are you waiting for? Will you boldly take a stand with me to fight for the lives and well-being of these small but mighty souls?