Courage When You Need It

Webster’s defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”  Our personal strength and fortitude, or lack of it, in facing the challenges of living, shapes the happiness and fulfillment of our lives.

We tend to salute bravery on the stage of bigger newsworthy actions or events. But most bravery occurs on the smaller stage – with our own loved ones and friends and in the actions of our own lives. The personal day-to-day courage that we display as individuals is a vital virtue that is reflected through our families, our communities and our nations. It is the parent of our recognized heroes that take a more public stage in courageously defending our way of life on the battlefields of bullets and of ideas.

And because the courage that is closest to home makes up more of life than the examples that appear in the media, we should encourage and celebrate it as well. When you act a little braver you should be consciously a little prouder. And when those around you show individual courage in their lives, you should recognize and appreciate them for it.

Developing Courage

There will be critical times in your life when your “strength to persevere and withstand” will determine the direction of your entire future.  How do you ensure you will have that courage when you need it?

One answer to that lies in how our soldiers consistently overcome what is a natural and at times nearly overwhelming fear in the face of the most intense of demands. They practice everyday. Soldiers practice courage. It is their job.Their training disciplines them to respond to physical threats in a thoughtful and brave way.

We too should practice. Courage may not be an official part of your job description, but we all need to make it an official part of our life description.

Practice Small Acts of Courage Every Day

Practicing making small courageous choices daily prepares you to face the bigger challenges of life.  When the fearful things arrive, as they inevitably do, having practiced, you will be able to convey a quiet and thoughtful control in the face of that distress, disease or turmoil. 

So look for and create small opportunities to be a little braver every day.

If you are shy, go out of your way to speak with someone new every day, even if it is just a friendly greeting.

If you are afraid of public speaking seek out ways to speak in public.  Volunteer to make a presentation at your company. Speak up at a PTA meeting.  Take on a project that requires group presentations. Sign up for a public speaking course.

If there is something about your job that really bothers you, be brave, talk to your boss about it.

By doing these types of things you are establishing courageous decision making and action as routine. When something becomes more routine it does not frighten us as much.

As an example, for a variety of reasons including child bearing, women get in the routine of visiting the doctor regularly starting at puberty. As a result they are much more likely to have seen a doctor in the last year than men (74% versus 57%), possibly leading to the fact that men are hospitalized much more often with preventable illnesses, and they die younger. Because it is less routine for us, we men are more apprehensive about being examined and fear finding out something might be wrong.

When courage in the day to day is not part of our routine, too many of us don’t make needed change in our life until the pain becomes so great or something so terrible happens that we can’t stand it. We sometimes even accept everyday misery or the prospects of a dreary future for fear changing it could make it worse. Or we think we lack the fortitude to pay the price to change. Practicing small acts of courage daily develops your discipline to face reality while you still have the opportunity to change the outcome in a more positive way.

A relative of my wife struggled to get through high school, married young and had two children. She worked full time into her early 40’s and knew that to improve the joy and income from her work she needed more education.  Her dream had always been to be a teacher. Without a single hour of college experience and a household budget that required her to work full-time, she knew a degree in teaching would be a demanding task over an extended period of time – with no guarantees. But she started with one small brave step, a phone call to a college.  That resulted in her taking an initial 3 hour college credit course. Today, in her early 50’s, she is an elementary school teacher who loves her work, her students and her accomplishments.

It took courage for her to decide to start down that intimidating path and impressive fortitude to continue it over 10 years before her goal was accomplished. The result though was a heroic journey and a life that has delivered for her more meaning, achievement, enjoyment and positive balance.

I would encourage you, too, to find ways to routinely practice small acts of courage or take a brave small step towards a bigger life solution for yourself. Look at the challenges in your life that make you shudder inside as a way to strengthen your courage…and take a step.

Think now about areas where you may have been sticking your head in the sand:  a relationship – an unhealthy pattern in your life – a career problem or option – or just a way to make yourself or your life better.  Now torque up some fortitude, recognize reality, and do a little something towards changing it for the better.

Be a bit braver today – and every day.

You and the world will be better for it.

Smiles,

Jim Bird, Publisher

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