Courage

Courage
Even the word has a daunting sound to it. Courage. It rings of bad times, wars, horrible trials. That’s really unfortunate, since courage is something we need every day.

For some of us, the idea of picking up the phone and talking to a stranger is so frightening that we just find any possible excuse – oops, I meant “reason” - for putting it off. This is where courage comes into play. Facing a fear and blasting through it requires courage.

Learning requires courage. Admitting that there is more to something than you know may feel like admitting your inferiority, when exactly the opposite is true. Admitting that you have room to grow is a bold act. Actually following through and growing takes courage.

The Serenity Prayer so popular in Twelve-Step programs states the problem clearly and succinctly: God grant me the serenity I need to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. This is a courage that persists through every facet of our lives. Change is hard. Acting, actually doing something, is harder than just letting life happen to us.

The flip side of courage is regret. We can probably all think of something in our life that we regret doing, but how many MORE things can we think of that we regret NOT doing? I should have… I wish I had… If only I had it to do over again, I would… You get the picture. A life without regret is truly a wonderful life. It’s also a life filled with courageous doing.

You know what you’ve been putting off. How much courage will it take to start that business? How much courage will it take to end, or begin, this relationship? How much courage will it take to rebuild this relationship? How much courage will it take me to get that prostate exam or mammogram? (Imagine now the regret of NOT doing it!)

Now try thinking of courage as a game. How much courage can I drum up for this task? Isn’t that what kids do when they dare each other? How much courage would it take to go off the high dive? How much courage would it take to jump off the swings? “I betcha don’t dare to ask Cindy to the dance.” As adults we can play this same game. How much courage would it take me to… You fill in your “Need to act and get it done” thing here.

There’s a reason why Nike’s slogan was “Just do it.” Those are powerful words that speak to the quality of courage. The marketing genius who came up with that deserves kudos for touching us in a special way.

For everybody, every day is trying to build up the courage to do the things we know must be done, to change the things we know must be changed.

Stir up some courage. Do it.


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