100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self

by Annie F. Downs

You were always meant to be brave. Whether you're coping with loss, making a major decision, or facing a fear, 100 Days to Brave will give you courage and confidence to move forward. With honesty and relatable humor, New York Times bestselling author Annie F. Downs invites you to embrace the path and plan God has for you.

Stop allowing your fears to hold you back. Face them head on with 100 Days to Brave as your devotional guide to walking the road to your most courageous self.

Dare to spend the next 100 days discovering how

Experience personal growth, navigate difficult transitions, and overcome anxietyConquer your fear so it doesn't hold you backEstablish daily habits to keep you mentally strongImpacting 400,000 individuals and families, 100 Days to Brave is

Women (and men, too) of all agesIndividuals wanting to ignite hope in their lifeDevotions by yourself, with a small group, or a youth groupGifts of self-care and self-discoveryBirthday gifts, Mother's Day, National Best Friends Day, and holiday givingAs a society, we are going through a lot! With anxiety and loneliness at all-time highs, it's important that you take the next 100 days to discover that you are braver than you know and stronger than you thought possible.

Look for additional inspirational books from

Let's All Be BravePerfectly UniqueSpeak Love

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Self Help, Faith, Personal Development, Devotional, Christian Living

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2017

About the author

Annie F. Downs is an author, blogger, and speaker based in Nashville, Tennessee. Flawed but funny, she uses her writing to highlight the everyday goodness of a real and present God.

An author of three books-  Let's All Be Brave ,  Perfectly Unique , and  Speak Love , Annie also loves traveling around the country speaking to young women, college students, and adults.

Read more at anniefdowns.com  and follow her on Twitter @anniefdowns.

Reviews

[Amy Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listen to Annie's podcast. The book this devotional is based off of, Let's All Be Brave, is really important to me. 100 days, unfortunately, was just too long for this devotional. While there were meaningful, challenging days, there were also a lot of filler, fluff days. Also, I lost steam personally, which isn't Annie's fault, but I feel having less of the fluffy, filler days would have helped me maintain momentum.

[Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me longer than 100 days but I finally finished. It gave me alot to think on.

[alisonwonderland (Alison) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this for the past 100ish days. I’m not sure if I’m braver than when I started, but Annie Downs has definitely given me a lot to think about!

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you need some unbelievably shallow self-help that you call “devotional”, perhaps this book is for you. If I were a preteen or teenage girl, maybe I would have liked it more. But really, this book has no substance or meat. This is self-help with a few Bible verses sprinkled in. (And I love self help and I love the Bible. I just don’t like self-help pretending to be more than it is.) It is essentially the same as reading a very privileged person’s blog about all the ways they’re going to slay. It just didn’t hit anything for me. It wasn’t helpful. It didn’t help dig into any Scripture more than just a passing proof-text. It is bumper sticker Christianity. If you’re not looking for a deeper relationship with Jesus and are just looking for some inspirational fluff writing, this might be just the book for you.

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Earth (the book)" by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart defined a self-help book as a book written by an author "who self-helped themselves to sad people's money".

Jesus Christ, I work at a store that plays an ad for this book every 10-15 minutes, and it is the most obnoxious, psuedo-intellectual, condescending, placating tripe that I've ever had too suffer through...multiple times a day. "What does it mean to be brave? Is it the way you speak or stand? Or does it have to do with small acts of leadership..." I mean how much more fortune cookie, feel-good nonsense can you possibly pack into a single volume? Make it stoooooooppppppp

[Steph Carr (LiteraryHypeWoman) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So... It took a long while to read this one since I didn't do it in 100 consecutive days. I'm fine with that since so many of these moments ended up lining up perfectly with my life when I did. In day 99, she references talking about day 3 and the bravery of her move to Nashville. I'm currently surrounded by boxes, packing for my own move to Nashville. Moving wasn't even in my mind back then, and it didn't really hit until I finished the book that this was planting seeds of bravery God knew I'd need by the time this move came about. Yeah, this isn't really a review of the book itself, but rather a testimony that it did work.

[Htb2050 · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main issue with this book was that it was full of issues. The author just keeps on talking about her own problems in the book at times. The number of times she talks about how she is single and what her therapists say etc etc. There isn't God in any of those those are human problem and can be solved easily of she stops focusing on those this much.

You can't just make God responsible for all of your problems. Somethings are because of your own doings. Acceptance is the first step. And then taking action to improve what you can.

[Kailyn Tauber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book challenged me to rethink how I view bravery and how I walk through the world every day. A great devotional by one of my favorite authors! Highly recommend!

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw Annie, thank you for sharing your heart and so many life stories with us. Definitely recommend this devotional. It hit at so many right times for me. It’s cool how God works like that.

[Amanda Anger · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best devotionals I've read! The daily readings are short enough to add easily into my daily rhythms, yet they're poignant enough to interrupt the way I naturally think. Each day's reading includes an action point, which may be as simple as listening to a song or writing an encouraging statement on my mirror; or it may be as involved as asking a mentor to lunch or journaling about the call of God on my life.

I would recommend going through this devotional with a friend, so you can discuss it along the way, and also so that you can call out the bravery you see in each other's lives.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first few pages, I was like "omg, this is going to be just like the 'Girl, Wash Your Face' book", or "great, another 'Church Karen self help book'" and I'm not going to finish this because I'll be so annoyed by its content.

Annie, I should not have doubted you.

Were there scriptures? Yes. Was I encouraged to find Christ? Yes. Was there a portion of the book that dealt with how ugly and fat we feel as women? Yes.

BUT.

The scriptures weren't being used to condemn or shame groups of people. The scriptures weren't being used to tell me how I should act as a woman, or what it means to be God-like. The word was being used to uplift readers and, much like Jesus, in parable form give examples of how to be brave and how to take care of ourselves. My heart felt a pang when the author talked about her singleness. I think many women have felt that pang: that sense of unworthiness and loneliness that can come from living alone. When the author was describing her PCOS and how she now exercises to feel good (not necessarily to be a certain weight), I could relate (what up, PCOS girlies!).

I'm glad I kept reading and gave Annie her chance - it was a good read!

[Natalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Downs is encouraging and creative. She is easy to read and easy to relate to.

See my full review: https://northofnonsensesouthofsophist...

[Talia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite devotional that I have ever done! Usually when I pick up a "40 day or 365 day" type study, I get bored after a couple weeks. I stuck with this one and finished it completely, and will do it again!
Annie F. Downs writes as if she is your wise, kind and understanding friend - with just the right message. Highly recommended!

[Charity (Booktrovert Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful inspiring devotional that encourages you to step outside your comfort zone and be brave. I enjoy reading this everyday and it encouraged me when I read the devotion. It challenged me to think outside myself and think of others. This book was a great daily devotion and totally relatable.

[Rachel | All the RAD Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Annie F. Downs for a LONG time and her newest book just confirms all the things I love about her. Her voice is so refreshing — honest, hilarious, heartfelt. This book of 100 short devotions is the perfect way to focus on courage and bravery, and it feels like you’re sitting down with a best friend over coffee and encouraging each other to be your very best selves. It’s a gift. It doesn’t feel cheesy or cliche or shallow, but just real and helpful and so uplifting. I read through more than a dozen days last night because I just couldn’t stop— I will definitely be sharing this one with friends! Love, love, love.

[Katie M. Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great devotional for adults or teens, 100 Days to Brave is a quick and easy read that will help motivate you to take action on living a more courageous life (in manageable, actionable steps). This would make a wonderful gift for graduates.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing journey and devotional that touched my life in so many ways. It has shown me that even when I do not feel brave, I am being courageous in little ways with each decision that I make. A wonderful read!

[Darby Knox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have tried reading this devotional twice and can't get into it. It's mainly the author's life story. Each devotion starts with a scripture, but other than that, there's little scripture or biblical reference. This just wasn't what I was looking for in a devotional.

[Krista Mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so exciting to make it to Day 100! Many of the "days" had really good thoughts in them--they were thought-provoking without being burdensome or trivial.

One of my favorite things about this book was its size--it fits well in the hand and the pages are smooth.

The special thing about this book is that it was given to me out of the blue by a friend who said, "Do you want to do this with me?" And I said, "Yes!" and that was the first step to being brave.

[Mary-Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt so weird to not read this today!

I ended up absolutely adoring this. Annie's stories were so endearing and illustrated each point perfectly. I think that we kind of put bravery in this box of what it's supposed to be, and we forget that it can be something as simple as deciding to text a friend, or exercise, or ask God a question. There are so many ways we can be brave; we just have to be willing and open.

I can't wait to read more of Annie's books in the future.

[Angela Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Love Love. My first Annie F. Downs book and I got to Day 5 before adding all others to my GoodReads To Be Read list. I love how relatable, and funny and practical the advice and stories are. I love hearing her voice sound like my own telling me that it won't all be beautiful-but be brave anyway. Loved it.

[Tiffany Friend · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough about this book. It made me face fears and consider things that were hindering my relationship with God. It helped me cultivate a deeper relationship with him by stepping out in faith and stomping out fear that held me captive. I recommend this book to everyone in any walk of life!

[Schuyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed going through this with a friend for the 100 days to brave challenge. It gives simple, practical challenges, and some of the question prompts helped spark vision for this next season of my life. I'm looking forward to where the Lord decides to take it.

[Kathy Van Der Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Annie F. Downs. Her perspective and how she is able to put into words exactly how I'm feeling and what I need to hear is incredible. Great devotional! I bought the book for this as well and can't wait to read it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a book by Annie Downs can feel like getting to know a new friend. She is open and vulnerable in her stories and creates daily devotionals that are both interesting and practical. It is even a book that can be read over and over again.

[Ginger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love AFD. Love her podcast and Instagram and spirit.

I was just not the right audience for this book (reminder that on Goodreads, two stars means “it was ok”).

This would make an EXCELLENT grad present for a high school or college student but a lot of it was just good, solid advice... but advice you’ve well learned by your mid-thirties and so it was a tiny bit trite for me.

I adore her, her spirit, and her words. This book was just ok.

[Emily L Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This devotional will help you walk through being a more godly, braver version of you. It addresses all the areas of wellness and what makes you you.

[Raena · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Didn't feel like I needed to be brave about anything right now. Lots of her personal anecdotes about how she's been brave.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me longer than 100 days to finish. 😂

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me longer than 100 days to read this book. I did enjoy this book very much and it definitely challenged my thinking.