June 1st is “Be Daring Day.” No one knows when or why this date was selected. It’s a day to break out of your comfort zone, not a day to be pressured or bullied into doing something dangerous or against your beliefs. What you choose to do – any challenge or dare you choose to accept is up to you, and it should be fun.

What is daring and why is it only one day??

For many people, being daring requires an athletic feat few are willing to attempt that creates an adrenaline rush for themselves and anyone watching. It might be climbing or jumping higher, running faster, or throwing farther than you’ve ever done before.

You can be daring without being Evel Knievel or Annie Edson Taylor. Sometimes being daring isn’t a physical feat. It may be speaking in public, eating alone in a restaurant, or asking someone on a date. Acts of personal courage can also be daring.

When I think of daring individuals, I do think of famous daredevils, but I also think of people who faced adversity head on no matter the outcome.

Tina Turner, who recently passed away, comes to mind when I think of daring people. She managed to escape an abusive relationship with her first husband, Ike Turner, who was also her business manager and singing partner. Ike controlled every aspect of her life – what she wore, what and how she performed, who she talked to, and how she lived her life. He physically and emotionally abused her and controlled her finances. Yet, Tina found the courage to escape. She walked away with nothing and gave up everything in her divorce to be free of her husband’s physical and mental attacks.

She started her new life heavily in debt because she had to cancel the rest of the tours booked for The Ike and Tina Turner Review. With courage and determination, she managed to pay off her debts and become one of the most successful performers of all time. She was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author.  Tina became the first black artist and the first woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. She also managed to find true love. When Tina’s kidneys began to fail, her husband, Erwin Bach, donated one of his kidneys.

I had the pleasure of seeing Tina Turner perform in Chicago in 1985 or early 1986 after she starred with Mel Gibson in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. It may be the greatest performance I have ever witnessed. Those legs, that voice, the dance moves and costumes, and the energy she brought to the stage are things I will never forget. She was also so keyed into her audience. When she spoke, it was as if she were speaking directly to you and not a generic crowd of people.

I think of Dolly Parton who despite her humble beginnings has become an icon. She had the courage to walk away from a safe and secure gig singing with Country and Western legend Porter Wagoner to venture out on her own. She is a talented singer/songwriter/musician, author, actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and humanitarian. Dolly has never pretended to be anything but herself. She has been married to Carl Dean since 1966.

Dolly is fearless where her career is concerned, and she’s never been afraid to make tough decisions. She’s never hesitated to help those less fortunate, but instead of just throwing money at a problem, she takes an active role in coming up with solutions. Her literacy program for children, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has sent out more than 100 million books to children ages birth to five. The Dollywood Foundation brings jobs and tax revenues to a previously depressed region.

I think of John Lewis, the American politician and civil rights advocate who dared to participate in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins and the Freedom Rides. Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1963-1966.

He was one of the “Big Six” who organized the 1963 March on Washington. In 1965, he led the first of three Selma to Montgomery marches across Edmund Pettus Bridge. During the March, state troopers and police attacked Lewis and other marchers in an incident that became known as Bloody Sunday. Lewis and other protesters including Amelia Boynton Robinson were beaten so badly they required hospitalization.

On March 1, 2020, Lewis stood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama to commemorate Bloody Sunday. He uttered these now-famous words, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America.”

Other famous quotes by Lewis include:

 “Your vote matters. If it didn’t, why would some people keep trying to take it away,” (from a July 3, 2018, tweet).

“The vote is precious. It is the most  powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.”

“I believe in freedom of speech, but I also believe that we have an obligation to condemn speech that is racist, bigoted, anti-Semitic, or hateful.”

Lewis served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020 (17 terms). As one of his final acts before his death from pancreatic cancer, Lewis penned an op-ed to the nation that was published in The New York Times on the day of his funeral. He called on America’s younger and future generations to continue the fight for justice and an end to hate.

When we think of daring people we usually think of people who seize their moment and achieve great things. Some might say being daring is about putting yourself first, but I also think of single parents who do it all for their children and caregivers who sacrifice so much of their lives to care for those who can’t fully take care of themselves. It’s daring to step away from our dreams or ambitions and put someone else’s needs ahead of our own, but we must never forget that we can still do daring things even if they are on a smaller scale.

Always dare to be yourself.

Sources for this article:

www.brookings.edu