The big reward of a small act of bravery.

I fly a lot in the fall and spring. (Yes, like a migrating monarch butterfly, which is probably what you were thinking.)

A few weeks ago, while at the Nashville airport, I walked up to the security line.

There were three lines open for the station where the guy checks your ID and your boarding pass. The one on the left had 25 people in it. The one in the middle had 25 people in it. The one on the right? It was empty.

Nobody was in the one on the right, which I thought was weird.

I stood there and thought, “Maybe it’s closed. If it’s open, why did those 50 other people go into the long lines? I don’t want to make the wrong decision and get in trouble.” I started to walk toward the long lines but, at the last second, decided against it.

I walked down the entire line right to the front. I felt a little silly passing all those people who were waiting in the other lines. Some of them definitely looked at me. But, for once in my life, I didn’t really care what people thought. At the front of the right-hand line, I waited for the TSA agent to tell me I’d made a mistake and order me to the back of the other lines.

He didn’t. In fact, he said something completely different.

“Just because you were brave, you got to go to the front of the line. Good for you.”

Then he checked my ID, marked my boarding pass, and sent me on my way.

I skipped 50 places at the airport because I took a small risk. I was brave for a second and it paid off.

Next time chasing your dream takes you across an empty line, don’t be afraid to stand in it. A small act of bravery can go a long way.

Question:
What’s a small act of bravery you can make today?