Disclaimer: I don’t use expletives (at least not out loud. much. at all) but this post deserves proper language, and in this instance, badass is the word of the day. Mkay? mkay.

Sabrina Ward Harrison–my current heroine–walks me through moments of honesty in the early morning hours. Her prompts on pages make space for my answers and for my questions. Her lines and words draw out dreams in me that have long been buried. And they cheer me to chase faster, jump higher, be braver.

She even helped me create my “Bad@$$” playlist (yes, I typed it exactly like that in my iTunes) for this season of my life–with songs that push me forward–with songs from Eminem and P!nk and Linkin Park and OneRepublic.

And just last night I sat in that same spot, but I sat before pages and pages of application forms and questionnaires. And some of the questions made me cry. And some of the questions made Drew cry. But we attacked them anyway. And this is the adoption process. And it is hard. But it is worth it. And these Bad@$$ songs pounded in my ears as I turned the pages. And they made me feel brave; their music filling me with drive and determination.

And I think that’s exactly what bravery is. It’s looking at the obstacles–the difficulties, the heartaches, the fears, the unknowns of the road before you–and deciding that the journey is worth every step and stumble. It’s finding motivators. And finding ways to propel ourselves forward when we feel weak. It’s turning the page.

And I want to add more songs to my Bad@$$ Playlist. So what suggestions do y’all have for me? What songs help you feel brave?