My cat, Yeti Monster, has never attended an SMPS conference. She has never written a proposal, developed a marketing plan, sat through a networking event, or given a presentation in front of a room full of people.

And yet, she taught me one of the most important lessons I've learned about being brave: sometimes, you have to decide that you aren't going to be helpless anymore.

When Yeti was a kitten, she had an unfortunate encounter with a dog.

I saw what happened and immediately thought she had been bitten. She went completely limp, and for a moment, I genuinely thought she was dead. I scooped her up and held her, inspecting her as best I could and looking for any sign of an injury. There wasn't one.

I cradled her for what felt like an hour, although it was probably only a few minutes. Eventually, when she finally felt safe, she opened her eyes and looked at me.

I like to think that in that moment, she knew she was safe. She knew I had her back. She knew someone was there to protect her. But I also think something changed in her.

She decided she never wanted to be helpless again.

From that point forward, Yeti became a completely different cat when it came to dogs. When her sister was once chased by a small dog, Yeti chased the dog away. Another time, a friend's dog had wandered off, and we couldn't figure out where he was. We eventually discovered him whimpering in a hallway. At the other end of the hallway sat Yeti, calmly licking herself clean. 

She wasn't afraid anymore. She had learned that she could stand up for herself. And honestly, I think there is a lesson in that for all of us.

We all get knocked down.

Sometimes it's a job we didn't get, a promotion that went to someone else, a proposal that we poured ourselves into that didn't win, a difficult conversation we avoided, a mistake that made us question whether we were really as capable as we thought. Sometimes we simply find ourselves in a place where we have become too comfortable being uncomfortable.

But getting knocked down doesn't have to be the end of the story. Sometimes it is the moment when we decide to get back up.

In the A/E/C industry, being brave can look like a lot of different things. Maybe you've gone years without a meaningful raise and know it's time to advocate for yourself. Instead of hoping someone notices, gather the information. Know your value and know what you've accomplished. Have the conversation.

Maybe you've been asked to speak in front of a room, and your first instinct is to say no. Say yes, prepare, and practice. Be nervous and do it anyway.

Maybe there's an idea in a meeting that you don't agree with, but you're hesitant to speak up. Take a breath and contribute your perspective.

Maybe you've been wanting to reach out to someone you've admired professionally but keep telling yourself you're not ready, don't know what to say, or don't have enough to offer. Be brave and send the message. Being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared. Yeti was scared.

I imagine that first encounter with the dog taught her exactly what fear felt like. But somewhere between being cradled safely in my arms and standing her ground later, she learned something else:

Being afraid doesn't mean you have to stay helpless.

That lesson has stuck with me. We don't always get to choose what knocks us down. We don't control every rejection, setback, difficult conversation, missed opportunity, or unexpected turn in our careers.

But we can choose what we do next. We can get back up. We can learn from what happened. We can recognize our own value. And sometimes, we can decide that the next time something comes at us, we're going to stand our ground.

I'm not sure how much time Yeti Monster has left with us since she is older than my career in the A/E/C industry. But I will always be grateful for the things she has taught me. If she can be brave, so can I, and so can you.