You’re Not a Failure — You’re Brave AF

Shanna Brown
Sep 16
3 min read

Updated: Oct 16

Greetings Beautiful Beings 🌿

For a long time, I carried a belief that quietly shaped everything in my life:

“I am a failure.”

I thought success meant following one clear, linear path —

Graduate high school.

Go to college.

Become a teacher.

Meet my husband.

Get married.

Have kids.

Simple.

Predictable.

Safe.

And when my life didn’t unfold that way, I decided something must be wrong with me.

I didn’t graduate high school because of health challenges — I got my GED instead. I didn’t move out until I was 25. I didn’t finish college. I didn’t meet my partner until my late 20s. I’ve run my business for years without hitting that shiny six-figure mark. And I’m still navigating life with a chronic health condition and weekly IVs.

For years, I called that failure.Now, I call it bravery.

Redefining Success

Not graduating wasn’t failure — it was brave AF. It was choosing my health and self-trust over external validation. It was sitting in uncertainty and choosing myself anyway.

It was brave AF to cheer on my friends at graduation even though I wasn’t walking with them. It was brave AF to explore countless jobs until I found what aligned with my soul. It was brave AF to move from fearing men to marrying the love of my life. It’s brave AF to show up for my business year after year, through every detour and doubt. And it’s brave AF to tell my doctors that I believe in my body’s ability to heal — even when they roll their eyes.

The Truth About Failure

There’s nothing about my life that’s a failure. Everything I’ve faced has shaped the woman I am today — one who lives with love, resilience, and deep gratitude.

I love where I live. I love my work. I’m surrounded by love and partnership that supports my growth. My body continues to heal in ways I was once told were impossible. And I’ve built a business that helps women create the kind of love and safety they once thought they couldn’t have.

That doesn’t sound like failure to me.That sounds like freedom.

If You’ve Been Carrying the Same Belief…

If you’ve ever thought you’re failing — in love, in life, or in healing — hear me:

You’re not failing. You’re brave AF.

You’ve been surviving, growing, and trying again — even when no one clapped for you. You’ve been learning to trust yourself when the old roadmap no longer fit. And that’s what healing really is: not perfection, but persistence with an open heart.

Where Healing Begins

When you start seeing yourself through the lens of courage instead of criticism, everything changes.

You stop chasing timelines and start honoring your own pace. You stop seeking validation and start cultivating self-trust. You stop performing for love and start allowing yourself to receive it.

This is the work of real transformation — not fixing what’s “wrong,” but healing what’s been scared.

Whether you’re beginning your journey or ready for deep change, remember this: 💛 You don’t need to try harder. 💛 You don’t need to prove you’re enough. 💛 You simply need a safe space to come home to yourself.

Because you’re not a failure.

You’re Brave AF.

And it’s time to live like it.

With love and empowerment,

Shanna