“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.”

I saved this quote after I saw Sir Anthony Hopkins say it in a clip during an interview. The quote is originally from Basil King’s The Conquest of Fear — fitting, since conquering fear is exactly what boldness has meant in my life.

I’ve always wanted to be bolder. Neurodivergence seems to always make that more challenging. RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria) — an intense, sometimes overwhelming sensitivity to perceived rejection — and the autistic fear of judgement make this an especially difficult challenge to navigate.

But if I look backwards through the lens of fresher perspective, there were many bold acts.

Being bold was to find a way to get out of bed when the world felt overwhelming. To be bold was to take another step despite immense pain. Bold was to go to an entirely new country and stay there for a time, despite the thud of a heartbeat in my ears.

Boldness can be a series of small acts that give us the confidence to take larger steps.

I used to sweat and struggle speaking in front of any crowd. When I went to Istanbul in 2013, I took a course to obtain a certificate for teaching English to adults (CELTA). The first practice session providing lessons was nerve-wracking. But things began to settle after the second.

The boldness to continue in spite of the fear was a doorway to new and wondrous opportunities.

Small acts of boldness kept me going before I knew I was AuDHD (Having autism and ADHD together). They are beautiful opportunities to grow. And by these actions, mighty forces will enter our lives in all shapes and forms.

To be bold is to open a new window of opportunity.

Take a chance. The act is more important than the outcome.