Courage

Often times when we think of courage we may think of a soldier on a battlefield, a firefighter, or a mother protecting her children from danger, but how we act every day also has a lot to do with courage.

Courage is the ability for one to overcome their fears and do what needs to be done regardless of being scared or not. I would argue that courage is not the elimination of fear, that is something else entirely.

Often times fear is a necessity that can be used to motive you. For example, fear of failing a test or a fear of getting a speeding ticket! Having courage means not allowing that fear to take control of the situation. You are in control.

For me, the thing about courage I struggle with the most is saying what I feel. For example, I may be polite to someone in order to avoid a confrontation even though what they are doing is wrong and it is affecting me negatively.

But what is it that I'm so afraid of? Being embarrassed? A fight? Hardly. Usually, I am afraid to hurt that person's feelings. Additionally, I am afraid that what I say might not be very productive. That is, if I bring about an issue it could delay what I am trying to get done and sometimes I would rather avoid confrontation and just continue what I am doing. Sometimes I might be concerned that if I choose to address a problem with a person there is a possibility thou our future relationship may be hindered, and who knows I might need them for something one day.

All I am trying to say that courage is a complex virtue, like all of them and each situation may require a different form of courage. Inside yourself, you will know what is right and when you need to be brave. The simple act of noticing a time you were lacking courage is one step closer to having the courage you need to be successful.

I have been in a few life and death situations where if I let fear take over, I would not be here writing this today. Yet I often struggle day to day with having the courage to say what I think is right. This needs to change.

Having children I know that they can sense when their parents are frightened (or anxious), and it is important for them to see strong parents in order to develop naturally without external stress.

Sometimes, having the courage to hide your fear is courage enough. Fear is very contagious and if you are open about your fears, I promise your children will develop those same fears.

I guess you could say I am making these virtue posts for myself, really. I want to remind myself what I already know, and that is I can always be better. It takes courage, and a little strength, to improve yourself but we are all capable of changing for the better.

It is my hope that this makes sense to you and please let me know what you think about courage. Next, I will be talking about truth.

You can check out my original post here.

Have a great day everyone!

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