[Once a week, I am going to be sharing with you a brave story sent in from a reader. You can comment, respond, encourage. Want to submit your own story or a story of a brave friend of yours? Head to thatisbrave.com!]

This week’s #thatisbrave story comes from Natalie. Alright, single gals. This is such a sweet story that I’m sure you’re going to relate to- and dudes, check out the inner bravery that many of us ladies feel pretty frequently. Her words and name are used with her permission.

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Let me just start out by saying that I am a complete pansy when it comes to talking to guys I like.

For some reason, I’ve always been afraid of the guys I’ve had crushes on. It’s funny, because most of my closest friends in life are actually guys. But, if I realize I have feelings for one, I’m doomed. It’s like I freeze and don’t know how to function properly. I once dodged into the nearest classroom in high school to avoid having to say hi to the guy I had a crush on when the halls were empty, and it was just the two of us walking toward one another.

Fail.

But I have been trying to live by the life motto “Be BOLD” for the past couple of years, and I’m forcing myself to include the way I approach the men who catch my eye. I’ve never even been on a date, so maybe my fear used to be because of some slight insecurity I had that led me to believe no guy would ever be interested in me.

But now I just don’t care.

I know my sufficiency is found in Christ, and whether or not a man returns my interest isn’t going to determine my overall happiness. God will provide love for me at the right time, but I’m also content with the idea that I may be single for the rest of my life.

That being said, I did something really brave. Well, it was really brave for me. Many other people might hear this and think it’s slightly ridiculous, and perhaps it is. But it was a huge step for me and something I would not have expected from myself years ago.

I’ve had a crush on this one guy for years, but I really only see him about once a year, so I refer to it as an “annual crush.” We were both at a surprise birthday brunch for a mutual friend, but there were a lot more people there than anticipated, and we ended up at different tables. However, I spotted a seat next to him that was still open, and I did something without giving it a second thought: I picked up my plate of food (that I had already started eating), grabbed my purse, and went and sat down right next to him.

And then I even talked to him. A lot.

I’m not saying he will fall in love with me now—though that would be pretty awesome—but I’m still pretty proud of myself for doing what I did. Sure, it’s something small. But it’s really something big. It shows how far I’ve come in this journey to being confident around guys I like, and I know I’ve reached a point where I know I can be me without any hesitations or hiding in classrooms.

I’m just going to pick up my food, sit down, and start talking. And, to me, that is brave.

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If you have any encouragement for Natalie and her brave story, leave it below in the comments.

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