Love bravely, live bravely, be courageous, there's really nothing

“Love bravely, live bravely, be courageous, there's really nothing to lose. There's no wrong you can't make right again, so be kinder to yourself, you know, have fun, take chances. There's no bounds.” Thus spoke Jewel, the poet-singer whose words rise not merely from melody, but from the hard-won wisdom of a life lived in struggle and awakening. Born from the trials of her own journey — from hardship, loneliness, and renewal — this declaration is not the careless optimism of one untouched by pain, but the song of a soul that has fallen and risen again. In her voice, we hear the ancient call of the spirit: to live fully, to love fearlessly, and to remember that even in our mistakes, there is redemption.

In the wisdom of the ancients, the brave were not only those who fought wars or faced beasts — they were those who faced life itself without flinching. To love bravely is the highest act of courage, for it means opening one’s heart knowing it may break. Yet it is through that very breaking that the soul expands, learning tenderness, forgiveness, and truth. Jewel’s words remind us that the heart was not made to be armored, but to be alive. The one who risks love risks loss — but the one who hides from love loses far more.

“Live bravely,” she says, and in these two simple words lies the essence of human freedom. Life, like the sea, is vast and unpredictable — it can uplift or engulf, soothe or storm. Many spend their days on the shore, fearful to wade in, content to watch others chase their dreams. But Jewel’s call is for those who would plunge into the current — who would face uncertainty with wonder, and greet each dawn with the courage to begin again. For to live cautiously is to die slowly, but to live bravely is to taste eternity in every breath.

The poet also speaks of forgiveness — that “there’s no wrong you can’t make right again.” In this, she touches upon one of the oldest truths of humankind: that redemption is always within reach. The ancients believed that the soul, though it may stumble a thousand times, can always return to the path of light. The one who forgives themselves breaks the chains of shame and allows the heart to heal. Consider the story of Nelson Mandela, who, after twenty-seven years in prison, emerged not with vengeance, but with peace. He could have lived in bitterness, but instead chose bravery of the heart — to forgive, to rebuild, and to love a world that had wounded him.

“Be kinder to yourself,” Jewel says — a teaching as gentle as it is profound. For many carry wars within their own hearts, judging themselves more harshly than any foe could. Yet the ancients knew that one cannot pour from an empty vessel. The wise must first extend compassion inward, nurturing the self so that compassion may flow outward. To be kind to oneself is not vanity, but wisdom — it is to recognize that we, too, are worthy of the gentleness we offer others.

When she urges, “have fun, take chances,” she speaks the language of joy — the sacred art that so many forget in their pursuit of perfection. The soul grows not only through duty, but through delight. The child who dances, the traveler who wanders, the artist who dreams — all live in the state the ancients called eudaimonia, the flourishing of spirit. To play is to remember the divine freedom within you, the spark that laughs in the face of limitation. It is to affirm, as Jewel reminds us, that there are no bounds except those we build ourselves.

The lesson, then, is radiant and clear: life is not a test to be passed, but a gift to be embraced. Love bravely, live bravely, forgive freely, and treat yourself with kindness. Fear will come, as it always does, but let it be your companion, not your master. When you stumble, rise. When you fail, learn. When you succeed, share. For in the end, there is indeed “nothing to lose,” save the chance to live as you were meant to — open, whole, and free.

So remember Jewel’s words not as mere song lyrics, but as sacred counsel to the heart: “There’s no bounds.” Step beyond your fears, into the vast and beautiful unknown. Love as if your heart cannot break, live as if each sunrise is your first, and forgive as if eternity depends on it. For the soul that lives bravely will never die in vain — it will echo forever, like a song that refuses to end.