I. Am. Brave. By: Dr. Chandra Char

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Image description: A grey and black stripped cat looking into a antique wood framed mirror to see a lion staring back at them.

Note: The composition of this writing, the contents and editing were all completed and generated without AI.

May 19, 2026

A friend and I have been working on a cover of Brave by Sara Bareilles. I guess that may be what reignited my interest in this song. This time, I was looking at the lyrics from more than just an earworm perspective and more of a lyrically intellectual way. I’ve always been a fan of Sara Bareilles– She is actually one of the songwriters I admire the most. Her lyrics are creative, bold, thoughtful and melodically interesting. I’m writing this Op Ed because I too can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug,  just like Sara does.

Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live. Or how about, maybe one of these days you can let the light in. Powerful, deep, inspiring. But I never realized that 13 years after it was produced, it would be as impactful as it was when I first heard it in 2013 on my pink Hello Kitty radio. Sara did say I want to see you be brave, so in many ways I have shown her how truly brave I have been in 2026. I got RIF’d from the government in December. Being forced into a crossroads in my life and career with a lot on the line is a scary, exhausting, overwhelming place to be. But it’s a good thing I am no stranger to adversity. I used this as an opportunity to once again laugh in its face. Which, firstly, is a brave thing to do. Brave is sort of a thing that I do these days both in my professional and personal lives.

 In my personal life, I do comedy improv. I’ve taken Improv classes for about a year now and I’m also part of an Improv team. Whenever I share this as a fun fact at a networking event or social gathering, people always respond with “wow. That’s so brave of you. You must be so courageous“. Well, yes, I am. However, I guess I’ve never really thought of it that way. I’ve always had a curious mind and pursued hobbies, interest, and education in such way. But yes, I admit it is a brave thing to do Improv. Being silly and sometimes risky in front of a bunch of strangers on a stage for 20 minutes would make many people highly anxious. In improv we often say that was a “brave choice”. I had the choice of fallen for the fear and done some disappearing but I show up to the stage with my brave choices because I know my team has my back. I’ve been making a lot of brave choices lately.

In my professional life, I’ve decided to lean into my creativity, authenticity and innovation and start a small business. This was when I let the light in to show how big my brave is. No matter what time or economic situation, it is always incredibly brave to start a small business. You put your heart and soul into it; you never know what it is going to happen. My business is my brand; there’s no separating myself from it. Solopreneurs put a lot on the line, they put their whole selves into it, they are self-taught, innovators, sales people, accountants– you name it, they need to know how to do it. I think that might be the definition of brave. So yes, I have been brave. I have been very brave. As a small business owner, I’ve got my own back during the highs and lows of the economy. Starting a small business when the world feels like it’s on fire, sending out job application, after job application, sending cold emails to strangers, showing up to networking events to meet people in person– all very brave. Everybody’s been there, everybody’s been stared down by the enemy. But I’m brave, courageous and boy, do I have grit.

So, yes, Sara, I heard you. I  just wanted to show you how big my brave is. Showing up brave every day is exhausting but I am incredibly proud of how I have bet on myself to show up creatively and authentically in all the rooms I enter. I ask questions in a silent rooms. I show up in pink pants when everyone else is wearing grey. So there it is, I  said what I want to say, I let the words fall out. And, honestly I wanna see you be brave. And, if you get a little scared, know that I’ve got your back.