I remember the first time someone asked me about the key hanging from my neck.

“Is that…a key? Around your neck?”

“Yes! It’s a Giving Key.”

The conversation that followed is one of the many reasons I am wearing my second Giving Key today as I write this. Before I share my heart and love for The Giving Keys, I’d like to share a little bit about the company and where it came from.

The inspiration for the company began when Caitlin Crosby, The Giving Keys Founder and CEO, was passing New York City on tour. She stayed at a hotel that used real keys for the rooms and was inspired by the uniqueness of the key she received. Caitlin didn’t want to lose her key so she began wearing it around her neck. One day while at the locksmith, she had the idea to stamp “Love Your Flawz” (the name of an organization Caitlin launched alongside Brie Larson) on the key to wear as a reminder.

“I wanted all of us to embrace our quirks and so called imperfections because those are the things that make us beautiful. I wanted to change our perspectives to see our ‘Flawz’ as beautiful.” – Caitlin Crosby

This one key set a spark in Caitlin’s heart and since then, she had a bunch of keys made with inspiring words like love, strength, and let go. She began to sell them while on tour and give them to people who were struggling with the hardships of life.

In a way, we’re all like these keys – unique, flawed, and scarred. Caitlin encouraged the crowds at her shows to wear a key to remind them that they are unique and one-of-a-kind. She truly believed that words of inspiration could be used as encouragement to carry us through the different seasons in life. Once they had worn they key for a time, she encouraged them to pay it forward by giving it away when they met someone who needed it more.

The keys started taking off and their pay it forward message touched the hearts of people all across the country! The keys were now becoming stories. As Caitlin began selling more and more of these on tour, she still felt something was missing to The Giving Keys. She found that missing link walking down Hollywood Boulevard after seeing a couple named Rob and Cera. They held a sign that said, “Ugly, Broke, & Hungry.” Caitlin invited them to dinner, where she discovered that Cera made jewelry…and Caitlin had the idea to hire them to engrave the keys instead of the locksmith she originally paid to make them!

From there, the company grew exponentially! And so did Rob and Cera, who now have an apartment and have moved on to pursue other careers in Seattle and San Diego. Each day, The Giving Keys continues to grow and employ those who are transitioning out of homelessness.

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” – Jake Canfield

On my Giving Key, you’ll find the word “Fearless” – one simple word that serves as a constant reminder that, regardless of what’s going on in my life at the moment, I want to live fearlessly. When I first received my key, I didn’t realize the impact it would have on my life. Because it’s a tangible object I always have with me, it’s impossible to avoid or forget about.

Just think about your New Year’s resolutions for a second. First, do you even remember them? And if you do, have you thought about them at some time today other than right now? As funny as it may sound, the little key around my neck reminds me to keep this from happening to my goal of being fearless. It serves as a constant encouragement that I carry with me wherever I might be. I wear a Giving Key because, despite the season of life I may be in, my key will still have “Fearless” engraved on the front.

The engravement on my key won’t change to “Fearless Most of The Time” whenever things get tough or when I feel timid and scared. No matter what each day brings, the key around my neck still says “Fearless”.

Whenever something doesn’t go as I plan or expect it to, I become easily flustered and upset. I sit and think about the “what if” and “what could have been”, But I want to lead a life that embodies a spirit that dreams, trusts, creates, and inspires. If I allow my emotions, lack of trust, or even doubts to get in the way, a door swings wide open that allows fear to run ramped in my mind. When I ignore the key that I wear around my neck, I’m giving fear the thumbs up to jump on and tackle me with all its might…so I wear a Giving Key as a tangible reminder to fight fear and keep the door closed real tight.

I also wear a Giving Key to encourage others to keep the door closed tight, whatever that may look like in their life. After having two Giving Keys, I can’t begin count the number of conversations each key has sparked. After the first time this happened, I think I truly began to grasp the power the little keys held. Not because they look cool or are trendy right now, but because it draws complete strangers in for the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation.

With each conversation about my Giving Key – what it means, what my word means, and how this impacts my life – I learn a little bit more about myself while also gaining insight into different perspectives and ideas as I hear others talk about their personal story, struggles, and dreams.

That’s why I wear a Giving Key, and why I believe you should consider wearing one too. They’re a powerful tool that can be used to inspire not only others, but yourself as well. Each Giving Key has a unique story and meaning that grows each time it continues to be paid forward. You’re able to encourage and inspire others, grow and learn about yourself, and when the moment arises pay the key forward to be a part of someone else’s life.

“F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything and Run’ or ‘Face Everything and Rise.’ The choice is yours.” – Zig Ziglar