In this special birthday episode of Not That Girl Anymore, host Dawn Bouillon—trauma therapist, coach, and founder of Embrace Your Brave—invites listeners into a heartfelt reflection on what it truly means to celebrate life. From her mother’s unforgettable birthday serenades to deeper insights about self-worth and presence, Dawn reminds us that every moment is a chance to honor ourselves and the people who matter most.

This episode isn’t just about birthdays—it’s about pausing to recognize that you matter, your story matters, and your voice matters. With warmth, authenticity, and a little bit of fun, Dawn shares her own journey of gratitude and reflection, offering encouragement for anyone navigating transitions or seeking to embrace their brave.

#TraumaHealing, #BirthdayReflection, #InspirationDaily, #YouMatter, #EmbraceYourBrave, #TraumaHealing, #HealingJourney, #EmotionalWellness, #MentalHealthAwareness, #SelfWorth, #PersonalGrowth

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Embrace Your Brave: Hey, friends! Welcome back to Not That Girl Anymore.

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Embrace Your Brave: I'm your host, Dawn Bouillon, a trauma therapist and coach, and the founder here of Embrace Your Brave.

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Embrace Your Brave: And today's episode is kind of a special one.

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Embrace Your Brave: Because today is my birthday! That just reminded me of my mom.

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Embrace Your Brave: My mom gives the best birthday messages.

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Embrace Your Brave: Every year, I look forward to her messages, because she sings them loud and proud, and it changes every time.

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Embrace Your Brave: I've heard her do, like, an incredible rap birthday song.

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Embrace Your Brave: Or just a full-blown opera. But she… is truly the best mom.

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Embrace Your Brave: And… You might notice that my voice is a little bit scratchy right now.

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Embrace Your Brave: Because I might have had a little bit too much fun with my friends

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Embrace Your Brave: Celebrating my birthday and singing karaoke at the top of our lungs.

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Embrace Your Brave: … So yes, it's been a fun… it's been a fun birthday. I have been very well loved.

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Embrace Your Brave: So today is my birthday, but by the time you hear this.

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Embrace Your Brave: It won't be my birthday anymore.

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Embrace Your Brave: But this is just a little piece of my heart that I want to share with you.

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Embrace Your Brave: To celebrate it.

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Embrace Your Brave: Honestly, birthdays haven't always meant a lot to me in the past.

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Embrace Your Brave: I used to just kind of gloss over them.

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Embrace Your Brave: But as I heal and I grow, I'm learning to treasure them more.

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Embrace Your Brave: It's not just as another year gone by.

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Embrace Your Brave: But another year, I get to live.

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Embrace Your Brave: I get to love.

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Embrace Your Brave: I get to become more me.

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Embrace Your Brave: And this year, I have this unique opportunity through this touchpoint right here to give you something for my birthday.

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Embrace Your Brave: And it's something that's been changing me from the inside out for quite some time now.

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Embrace Your Brave: And it comes down to two simple words.

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Embrace Your Brave: You… matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: So this week, I've been sitting… All the little dawns.

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Embrace Your Brave: All the little versions of me, the little girls.

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Embrace Your Brave: Who never quite believed they mattered.

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Embrace Your Brave: The ones who thought.

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Embrace Your Brave: They weren't enough.

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Embrace Your Brave: The one who thought.

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Embrace Your Brave: She was too much.

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Embrace Your Brave: The ones who felt invisible or unseen and unheard.

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Embrace Your Brave: And I have wept.

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Embrace Your Brave: for them.

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Embrace Your Brave: And I've also been stopped.

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Embrace Your Brave: For a moment, and wrapped my arms around those sweet girls.

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Embrace Your Brave: And held them tight.

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Embrace Your Brave: And whispered the words, That they've been aching to hear.

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Embrace Your Brave: Their whole lives.

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Embrace Your Brave: You matter, Dawn.

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Embrace Your Brave: Your story matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: Your voice matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: Your dreams matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: Your pain.

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Embrace Your Brave: matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: All of you.

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Embrace Your Brave: It matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: Now, if you've ever done any work with me, you know one of the very first things I invite women to do is to find pictures of themselves as little girls.

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Embrace Your Brave: At different ages and stages.

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Embrace Your Brave: I just want them to see her.

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Embrace Your Brave: To really look at her.

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Embrace Your Brave: To begin emotionally reconnecting, With that tender, innocent part of themselves.

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Embrace Your Brave: And this week, my own healing took me on that same Journey.

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Embrace Your Brave: As a promise to my little girls, and to myself.

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Embrace Your Brave: I did something I've never done before.

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Embrace Your Brave: I got a tattoo.

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Embrace Your Brave: And two little words etched on my wrist.

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Embrace Your Brave: You… matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: And you know, it's more than ink to me. It's a love letter to those little girls and me.

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Embrace Your Brave: It's a promise that from this day forward, I will not abandon them.

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Embrace Your Brave: I will not abandon me.

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Embrace Your Brave: And this tattoo has become like a mirror for me.

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Embrace Your Brave: Every time I see it, I come face to face with my own little girl.

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Embrace Your Brave: The one I so often overlooked.

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Embrace Your Brave: And it reminds me… To check in.

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Embrace Your Brave: Hey.

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Embrace Your Brave: How am I doing with this right now?

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Embrace Your Brave: Do I need to speak up for myself?

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Embrace Your Brave: Am I considering my own needs?

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Embrace Your Brave: Am I honoring that little girl inside of me?

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Embrace Your Brave: Not a day has gone by that I haven't been reminded several times a day

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Embrace Your Brave: And given new opportunities to love that girl.

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Embrace Your Brave: Inside of me.

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Embrace Your Brave: If you've ever walked into my office, those are the first words you'll see.

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Embrace Your Brave: If you spent any amount of time with me, you've probably heard me say it out loud.

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Embrace Your Brave: You matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: It's become my message to the world.

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Embrace Your Brave: But here's the part most of you probably don't know.

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Embrace Your Brave: It's also the message I've needed the most for myself.

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Embrace Your Brave: From the time I was a child through my adult life, and even now at 44,

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Embrace Your Brave: It's still the reminder I need to hear.

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Embrace Your Brave: And maybe that's why I carry it so fiercely.

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Embrace Your Brave: Because I know how it feels to go without it.

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Embrace Your Brave: And you know, maybe for you, it won't be a tattoo.

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Embrace Your Brave: Maybe it's just a sticky note on your mirror.

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Embrace Your Brave: Or a word on your phone background.

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Embrace Your Brave: Or a bracelet you wear, or a quiet reminder you whisper to yourself each morning.

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Embrace Your Brave: But what if you had something that pulled you back again and again to the truth that you matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: What would it look like for both of us?

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Embrace Your Brave: To actually live from that place every single day.

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Embrace Your Brave: To walk into every room.

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Embrace Your Brave: At every table, at every conversation, Owning our worth.

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Embrace Your Brave: Owning our seat.

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Embrace Your Brave: And knowing deep in our bones, That we belong.

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Embrace Your Brave: How differently would we show up?

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Embrace Your Brave: How boldly would we speak?

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Embrace Your Brave: How tenderly would we love?

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Embrace Your Brave: How courageously would we dream?

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Embrace Your Brave: This is what believing you matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: makes possible.

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Embrace Your Brave: So I'm gonna pause here for a moment.

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Embrace Your Brave: And let you not just hear these words, but feel these words.

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Embrace Your Brave: So, if you can, Close your eyes for a moment. Now, don't do anything dangerous.

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Embrace Your Brave: But if you can, Close your eyes for a moment, and put your hand on your heart.

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Embrace Your Brave: And let me speak this over you.

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Embrace Your Brave: Take a deep breath. We forget to breathe sometimes.

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Embrace Your Brave: Let me speak this over you.

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Embrace Your Brave: You… matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: Your story.

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Embrace Your Brave: matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: Your voice.

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Embrace Your Brave: matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: Your dreams.

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Embrace Your Brave: Matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: your pain.

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Embrace Your Brave: matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: All of you.

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Embrace Your Brave: matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: No.

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Embrace Your Brave: As you listen to those words that I just spoke over you, I want you to pay attention.

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Embrace Your Brave: What is stirring inside of you?

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Embrace Your Brave: What are the sensations that are moving through your body as you hear those words?

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Embrace Your Brave: What thoughts Fill your mind.

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Embrace Your Brave: What emotions?

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Embrace Your Brave: are rising up.

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Embrace Your Brave: to the surface.

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Embrace Your Brave: Hmm.

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Embrace Your Brave: I just want you to notice.

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Embrace Your Brave: Don't push it away. Don't judge it.

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Embrace Your Brave: Because however you respond, That matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: 2.

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Embrace Your Brave: But while you're here, I want to invite you into something tender.

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Embrace Your Brave: I want you to take a minute right now and hold that little girl inside of you.

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Embrace Your Brave: The one who never quite believed that she mattered.

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Embrace Your Brave: I want you to picture her face.

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Embrace Your Brave: And look into her eyes.

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Embrace Your Brave: And notice how small and tender she is.

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Embrace Your Brave: And I want you to… Wrap your arms around her and hold her tight.

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Embrace Your Brave: And I want you to tell her what she's always needed to hear from you.

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Embrace Your Brave: I see you.

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Embrace Your Brave: I love you.

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Embrace Your Brave: I would not abandon you.

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Embrace Your Brave: You?

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Embrace Your Brave: matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: That's the journey my tattoo took me on this week.

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Embrace Your Brave: And it was a little unexpected.

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Embrace Your Brave: And I believe it's the same invitation that's waiting for you.

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Embrace Your Brave: To whisper those words to the little girl inside of you so she finally knows she's safe.

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Embrace Your Brave: She's seen.

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Embrace Your Brave: And she matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: Now, for some of you, those words might land like water in a desert.

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Embrace Your Brave: And you feel the relief. It feels like coming home.

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Embrace Your Brave: And for others of you, it might feel almost impossible to take them in.

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Embrace Your Brave: And maybe there's that voice that whispers, whew, not me, not yet.

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Embrace Your Brave: Or maybe your body goes numb.

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Embrace Your Brave: Like, you just can't quite connect it.

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Embrace Your Brave: And if that's you, that's okay, too.

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Embrace Your Brave: It doesn't mean that you're broken.

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Embrace Your Brave: It doesn't mean you'll never believe it. It simply means those younger, hurting parts of you may need more time.

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Embrace Your Brave: To trust these words.

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Embrace Your Brave: Even the tears that fall.

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Embrace Your Brave: Even the resistance you feel, Even the silence in your chest.

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Embrace Your Brave: All of it is part of the journey.

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Embrace Your Brave: It all belongs.

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Embrace Your Brave: It's all telling the story of a heart.

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Embrace Your Brave: That is slowly… Gently… Bravely learning the truth.

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Embrace Your Brave: that you… matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: So on this birthday, My wish isn't…

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Embrace Your Brave: For more gifts and cake and candles, even though… The cheesecake was amazing.

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Embrace Your Brave: My wish.

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Embrace Your Brave: It's for more women.

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Embrace Your Brave: More brave souls just like you.

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Embrace Your Brave: To know without a shadow of a doubt that you matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: And listen, if you ever forget, because we do.

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Embrace Your Brave: Come back here, and I'll remind you.

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Embrace Your Brave: Because that's what I've promised myself.

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Embrace Your Brave: And it's what I'm promising to you.

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Embrace Your Brave: So before we close, I want you to try something right here.

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Embrace Your Brave: I want you to whisper this, maybe out loud, even if it feels shaky, even if it feels strange.

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Embrace Your Brave: It's okay.

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Embrace Your Brave: I want you to say, Aye.

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Embrace Your Brave: matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: My story matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: My voice matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: My dreams matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: My. Pain.

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Embrace Your Brave: matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: All of me matters.

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Embrace Your Brave: And say it again if you need to, and fill it.

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Embrace Your Brave: Feel that truth.

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Embrace Your Brave: Deep down in your soul, and let it take root in you.

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Embrace Your Brave: And then I want you to carry it with you.

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Embrace Your Brave: Let it shape the way you walk.

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Embrace Your Brave: Let it shape the way you speak.

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Embrace Your Brave: Let it shape the way you love yourself, and you love other people.

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Embrace Your Brave: Because when you live like you matter, you change the world around you.

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Embrace Your Brave: So please accept this gift from me on my birthday.

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Embrace Your Brave: And until next time… You brave soul.

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Embrace Your Brave: Hold on to this truth.

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Embrace Your Brave: Live it.

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Embrace Your Brave: Breathe it. Become it.

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Embrace Your Brave: Because you matter.

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Embrace Your Brave: You always have.

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Embrace Your Brave: And you always will.