Being completely transparent isn’t hard for me when my opinion is popular, but often that is not the case. I find myself grasping filler words to make sure not to offend and shying away from conversations that would hint toward my (mostly) Southern conservative Christian values.
The word ‘bold’ has repeatedly made its way into the vocabulary of the strongly opinionated searching to justify inappropriate actions. Bold is often associated with power. To be bold requires sharing opinion without fear of the repercussions. Too often, rude comments and put-downs cascade from mouths or Twitter profiles of individuals claiming to the name of ‘bold’.
However, bold is not bad. It is not a characteristic that should be powerful enough to strike fear. It is a way to voice opinions, no matter how unaccepted, and in turn, cause it to churn in people’s minds.
As I considered the meaning of this word, I became angry with people who dare to think they are entitled to share unnecessarily degrading opinions, but then I realized that being bold has lots of layers. It’s something that catches your attention. It is a trait that makes you look and then look again out of sheer awe. It reappears when you’re lying in bed and your thoughts wander. As appearance goes, bold is tattoos or a bright red polka-dot dress. Bold is light-up Sketchers or chartreuse stilettos.
Bold can be considered a personality. Bold is that person who will go up and introduce themselves to a crowd. Bold is the one that melts your heart with both passion and compassion. Bold goes past making a “risky” point on Twitter to see how much attention you get; it transcends meaningless rebellion. Bold is that indescribable quality that people contain; it is what makes them so worth investing in.
Take all the bold that you strive for on social media and put it towards the real world.
Be bold.
Be powerful.
Make a difference.