Not Fearless but Carefree: The Difference Between Being Brave and Not Worrying | Meditation

I’ve been described by peers as carefree. I am not arrogant, but I have an air of confidence about who I am and my values. As much as I would like to believe I am open-minded, I also maintain healthy boundaries (which is essential for Highly Sensitive People).

A few years ago, as I began my meditation practice, a mentor gave me a great tool for creating healthy boundaries. She told me that when I am observing my thoughts, it is important to recognize whether it is ‘mine’ or someone else’s. If I could distinguish that it was not mine, then I could put it in a bubble and “Let it go”. This tool works wonders! It may be why I come off as carefree.

The “Not My Problem Bubbles” help decipher between what you can and cannot control. Or in other words, whether or not you need to worry about it.

I cannot take credit for coming up with the following word, but I would like to share it with you:

Now, let me be clear, not giving a fuck is not the same as being fearless. I have fears, like anyone else, but the difference is I do not worry about whether people will agree with me or not. Some people have mistakenly characterized me as brave. Sure people think moving to a foreign country on the other side of the world is admirable, but people do it everyday.

My new motto is: I am not going to worry about it. If it happens, then it happens. If not, then it was not meant to happen.