Adventure, faith, and the courage to let go of “shoulds”

In an unforgettable conversation that blends adventure, faith, and the challenges of personal growth, Michelle LeBeau shares from the heart. From serving as a VIP escort at the 1984 Olympics, and hopping freight trains in college, Michelle’s adventurous spirit shines through. She also shares about her family’s ongoing involvement in the Olympics and her impactful work with Y Malawi, alongside a lighter moment—recently rocking out at a Rolling Stones cover band concert for a cause supporting youth homelessness.

But this episode goes deeper than stories of adventure. Together we tackle the real struggles women face—fear of judgment, failure, and not meeting societal expectations. Michelle opens up about her own battles with self-doubt and the burden of “shoulds,” offering insight on how self-awareness, grace, and embracing vulnerability can transform not just ourselves but also the way we serve others. Together, they explore what it means to live with courage, push past fear, and reflect the love and inclusivity of Jesus.

Michelle is our guest this week for Spicy Christian Women - Becoming All that and a Bag of Chips. Here is part two.

She has been on the podcast before in A Hippy at Heart.

You can find Michelle at San Diego Rescue Mission.

**Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some grace.**

— Michelle LeBeau

No Regrets - please

Thoughts from Brave but Not Always Confident - part 2

Which comes first? Being brave or feeling confident? Or do they somehow go hand in hand? Michelle explained quite well that she is brave and willing to do the hard things but at the same time she doesn’t necessarily feel fully confident in doing them. Hmmm. That got me to thinking. (Can you imagine such a thing?)

Let’s define.

brave - endure or face (unpleasant conditions or behavior) without showing fear.

confident - to have a secure belief in oneself and one's abilities, coupled with a willingness to act on that belief without arrogance.

Being brave is a choice. It’s a mindset, an action, and it is not the absence of fear. It’s doing it anyway.

Confidence is both a thought, and a feeling. You believe that you can, and you trust yourself to try, even if it’s hard.

Let me give an example.

Many summers ago, after I completed my teaching career, I prayed for an opportunity to merge my love of education and performance together. Now mind you I honestly don’t pray for myself that often (and I’m no saint!) so this was an exception. Lord, if you could find something that is in the realm of teaching and theater, well that would be a dream. And I’ve got a young one still at home (age 4) so take that into consideration. (In other words, flexible.) And I remember saying this. For some reason it left a mark, like a snapshot from the past that captures a memory.

I think it was about two weeks later and a company that specializes in children’s theater called and asked me to come to the office as they had something they wanted to talk with me about. Ok, my son was involved with this group and I had taught a couple of classes for them but they did not enter my mind when I prayed this prayer. When I went to this meeting they asked me if I would be interested in creating a performing arts program that could be brought directly to schools, partnering with their students. Uh, yeah, I was very interested.

Did I know how to do this? No. Did I feel brave? Yes, brave enough. Was I confident? Not entirely but enough to try, to do it scared. I dove in and for the next 15 years I gave it my all. I became more brave. I became more confident. Now I want to be very clear that any success this program had was entirely due to the partnership I had with God, and with the support I had of the company, CYT (Christian Youth Theater). We brought performing arts after school, and during the school day, to over 200 schools serving over 17,000 students during my time there. And then COVID changed everything. No regrets. I was ready for a change.

It really was my dream job. Especially for that time: flexible, creative, requiring organization, communication, hiring/mentoring/supporting the teaching artists, writing curriculum, the list goes on and on. And I loved it.

Bravery and confidence need practice. They don’t grow in a vacuum. They are intertwined and feed off of each other in the best way. I believe strongly in doing things scared because I am no longer willing to wonder what would happen if. I’m over it. And I hope you are too. You have an opportunity? Do it. Want to create something? Do it. Don’t let that last breath you take here be filled with any regret. It’s not worth it.

Brave but Not Always Confident - Part 2 (episode 276-2)

Adventure, faith, and the courage to let go of “shoulds”

Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some grace.

No Regrets - please

Being brave is a choice. It’s a mindset, an action, and it is not the absence of fear. It’s doing it anyway.

Confidence is both a thought, and a feeling. You believe that you can, and you trust yourself to try, even if it’s hard.

It really was my dream job. Especially for that time: flexible, creative, requiring organization, communication, hiring/mentoring/supporting the teaching artists, writing curriculum, the list goes on and on. And I loved it.

Brave and confident for the camera - the only way to go.

Brave but Not Always Confident - Part 2 (episode 276-2)

Adventure, faith, and the courage to let go of “shoulds”

Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some grace.

No Regrets - please

Being brave is a choice. It’s a mindset, an action, and it is not the absence of fear. It’s doing it anyway.

Confidence is both a thought, and a feeling. You believe that you can, and you trust yourself to try, even if it’s hard.

It really was my dream job. Especially for that time: flexible, creative, requiring organization, communication, hiring/mentoring/supporting the teaching artists, writing curriculum, the list goes on and on. And I loved it.

Brave and confident for the camera - the only way to go.

Brave but Not Always Confident - Part 1 (episode 276-1)