Courage

There is such strength in the word courage; I did not even need to add any other word to this blog title. According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary the definition of courage is mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. One of my favorite things about even just the word, courage is that the root of the word is the Latin word for heart. I am a total heart person meaning I operate from the heart.

Courage is my favorite virtue. I have courage to thank for such a great life. It has allowed me to move through fear and go for it, anyway. Because of it, I have explored new aspects in my life, and new aspects of myself. Because of it, I have jumped into new physical spaces and agreed to calculated risks. It helps me move beyond my beliefs and pushes myself to follow my instincts. This means that you trust yourself even when you’re scared to take that leap. It helps me to continue to open my heart to new directions and new opportunities.

Courage helps us to push and challenge ourselves so we can expand ourselves and try new things. It takes courage to set boundaries and say no. It takes courage to have your own opinion and be okay with it. It takes courage to share with people who you are with flaws and all. It takes courage to voice experiences and tell stories. It takes courage to do your own thing and make decisions that you stand with for yourself and not others. Being different can be hard and it is easier to be you, sometimes it just isn’t what others are doing at the moment.

Courage brings to mind the cowardly lion from Wizard of Oz. Is he really cowardly or is the lion like so many of us, walking through life paralyzed by fear? Some of us have more consciousness of the way we carry our fears than others. Having my pulse on my courage levels allows me to take leaps even when I am still very much afraid.

I am very grateful for how courage continues to show up in my life. Without it, I would not have been able to live in two different unfamiliar cities. I would not have been able to write this and other contributing writings. I would not have been surprised by myself and ventured into new initiatives that have made impacts that I would have never imagined. So join me in continuing to embrace and confront the cowardly lion. It takes courage to be honest with one’s self and even let that lion know when we are not ready. It takes courage to ask for what you need.

I am looking to courage to bring on the rest of the “C” words like compassion, consciousness, creativity, …. Let courage be there for you now and let yourself be surprised, excited, restful and playful as well as calm, contemplative and courageous.