Brave Love

Book excerpt: Women today feel pressure to be the best wife, mom, and professional possible--often at the expense of their own identity. But what if you could experience deep peace--knowing you are loved right now, just as you are? In Brave Love, the founder of the multimillion-dollar company Lisa Leonard Designs inspires women to find themselves again amidst the noise and competing demands of real life. This paperback edition includes a new foreword written by Stephen Leonard, exclusive discussion questions for personal reflection, and a Q&A between Lisa and Steve. Brave Love is about what it means to be human, how it feels to be broken and afraid, and what happens when we dare to love deeply. Join Lisa on a journey where you will discover you are worthy and lovable just as you are. You don't have to try harder or be better. You don't have to prove yourself, and you don't have to make others okay. In this freedom you will find more peace and more joy. Most importantly, you will learn that as you stop trying to be everything to everyone, you will love others better. Lisa Leonard shares her story of finding truth and wholeness in the midst of life's competing demands. When she said her marriage vows, she was determined to be the best wife she could be. When her first son was born with a severe disability, Lisa promised herself she would always be the mother he needed. When she began her jewelry business, Lisa committed to giving it her all. Over the years, the exhaustion of trying to be the perfect wife, mother, and businesswoman took its toll. Lisa knew it wasn't working. She wanted to change things, but how? Everyone depended on her. So she kept going, kept pushing, kept trying to prove she could do it all. Until one evening, in tears and desperation, Lisa realized that she could no longer be everything to everyone. Somewhere along the way, she had lost herself. In Brave Love, Lisa shares her story of losing--and finding--her own voice in the clamor of family, career, and internal pressure to prove herself.