Go Boldly

Since this question focuses on the meaning of living boldly, I went to the dictionary. My general sense of audacious, brave, courageous, and daring was reinforced. The negative view of bold is to be unabashed, brash, cheeky, and defiant.

The part that surprised me was the origin of the word. Bold comes from the German “bald”, which roughly translates as soon. Bald is a relatively common German word, common enough that I know and use it at my relatively low level of usage. My most common usage is with “Bis bald,” which roughly translates to “see you soon.”

Fortune favors the Bold.

Latin proverb quoted by Virgil in the Aeneid

So apparently what it means to live boldly is to not wait… until then, for permission, for approval, for a special occasion to use the good stuff, for recognition that might not come, for an apology, for better weather, for retirement, for this pandemic to pass, for anything Dr. Seuss lists about getting stuck in the Waiting Place in his guide to life, “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” Since we are talking about living boldly and I need a reminder, I went and found the relevant verse and put it at the end of this post in case you could use a reminder too. There is a good reason that people give this book when people graduate and go out into the world.

My take away from this reflection on what it means to live boldly is a reminder that living a bold life requires both bravery and beating procrastination. There are some areas of my life where I tend to be good about this and others not and it can shift which is which. Maybe living boldly in all areas of our life all the time can be too much. But not living boldly at all is worse. Luckily every day, every minute, every breath is a new chance to choose to be bold. So, right now, if you are reading this, choose one area of your life that might be waiting for some fresh energy, pick one small thing you can do now, an action you can accomplish today, and do it. Then build on it tomorrow. And again the next day. That’s how it is done.

How will you choose to live more boldly today?

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.