MARGIE WARRELL provides leadership, communication, and courage-building programs for organisations including NASA, UN Foundation, AOL and Accenture. As a columnist for Forbes and Huffington Post, her advice is featured throughout leading global media. Margie is also a mother of four children.

About the author vii

Acknowledgements viii

Introduction xi

PART I: LIVE PURPOSEFULLY

Ten building blocks for living bravely 1

1 Decide what you stand for 3

2 Interrogate your reality 8

3 Face your fear to rise above it 13

4 Value your own opinion above all others 20

5 Trust your intuition 25

6 Focus on what you want 32

7 Own your choices; spare the excuses 37

8 Resist conformity; embrace what makes you different 44

9 Change before you have to 52

10 Live by design, not by default 56

PART II: SPEAK BRAVELY

How to have courageous conversations about things that matter 61

11 Your voice matters; be heard 63

12 Speak from your heart, not your ego 68

13 Say no to the good to say yes to the great 77

14 Dare to ask big 83

15 Listen to understand; not to be understood 88

16 Be willing to rock the boat 94

17 Talk more; type less 100

18 Hold people accountable 107

19 Be careful keeping secrets 112

20 Offer feedback; it's an act of service 116

21 Say sorry even when it's difficult 122

PART III: WORK PASSIONATELY

How to risk the bravery your potential is counting on 127

22 Work as though what you do matters; it does 129

23 Play to win, not to avoid losing 135

24 Be the leader you would love to have 139

25 Quit quickly; fail fast 144

26 Never give anyone power to intimidate you 150

27 Don't hide behind humility 153

28 Risk more rejections 157

29 Be decisive amid uncertainty 162

30 Unlearn to relearn 167

31 Seek expert advice, but apply it sparingly 172

32 Lift others as you climb 176

PART IV: DIG DEEP

How to be resilient when life doesn't go to plan 181

33 Life doesn't happen to you, it happens for you 183

34 Refuse to let your circumstances define you 187

35 Nurture resilience daily; courage calls for it 191

36 Asking for help reveals strength, not weakness 196

37 Let go disappointment but retain your hope 201

38 Do your best with what you have; it's enough 207

39 Anger chains you to the past; leave it there 212

40 Sit with your sadness 218

41 Gratitude elevates; lift yourself daily 225

PART V: DARE BOLDLY

How to pursue your biggest dreams and ambitions 231

42 Live from your imagination; not your history 233

43 Pave your own path 239

44 Yes, take that chance! The odds are better than you think 244

45 Fear regret more than failure 248

46 Break the rules; make your own 253

47 Forget perfect! Good enough is good enough 259

48 Embrace problems that are worthy of you 263

49 Courage is contagious; walk with giants 268

50 Think big; start small; begin now 273

Epilogue 278