After speaking at a conference last week, I was sharing a story with a participant who said I was courageous.  To be honest, that comment really shocked me.  I would consider myself a lot of things, but courageous has never been one of them.

It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes by Mary Anne Radmacher, “Courage doesn’t always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”

Whether it’s standing your ground for something you believe in, confronting a co-worker about difficult behavior, believing in yourself, or simply hanging on when it would be easier to let go, courage is displayed in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

Is there something you’ve wanted to try but haven’t because you’ve been afraid?  Is there a conversation you’ve avoided because it will be uncomfortable?  Is there a choice you’ve been on the fence about making?  If so, I’m here to give you a little nudge and encourage you to be courageous, in whatever way it makes the most sense for you.

What have you done lately to demonstrate courage?  I’d love to hear from you!

 

8 Comments

  1. Courage is being with your 32 year old schizophrenic son every day to be sure he is taking his meds, calming his insecurities, making him exercise to minimize the 125 lb weight gain due to his meds and giving my wife the support she needs to get by another day. She takes antidepressants due to his condition. I have to stay strong because I know that my youngest son was as smart as his older brother who graduated from Harvard. This disease has hijacked his life. I know there is no end in sight for his disability and he will be with me until I check out. Its hard to answer his question of why me?

    • Wow, Jack. That is absolutely courageous. There’s a special place in Heaven for you. Just remember to take care of yourself. You can’t be of any help to your children or wife if you don’t take care of you. My hat’s off to you, and my heart and prayers are with you and your family. I would love to have you join us for the NAMI walk (National Alliance on Mental Illness) on Oct. 8th. Let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll get you the information.

  2. Anne, this was such a beautiful post today. I always enjoy your emails but for some reason, this one, and now along with Jack’s reply, have really touched me today. Keep up the positivity!

  3. Courage is love, or at least, courage is enough love to overcome the fear that we feel. Ever since I came to understand that, I have felt that the Jedi from Star Wars had the right idea but didn’t know how to teach their students to implement it aside from repeating Yoda’s mantra. Yes, knowing the problem is half the battle, but knowing how to work your way out of the problem is the other half of the battle. Obi-Wan and Yoda didn’t teach that, so they wound up with Darth Vader.

    Have you ever read a book called _Do the Work_? It talks about this very thing.

    Thanks for another insightful entry.

    Chantal

    • Hi Chantal,

      It’s funny, I just watchec Star Wars the other day with the kids. You’re absolutely right. Knowing how to work your way out of or through the problem is the hard part. I’ll have to go check out that book…I haven’t heard of it.

      Thanks for taking the time to comment and may the force be with you 😉

  4. I have this quote on my wall. It’s pretty similar. It is by David Gemmell – an author who passed away in 2006.

    Heroes are people who face down their fears. It is that simple. A child afraid of the dark who one day blows out the candle; a women terrified of the pain of childbirth who says, ‘It is time to become a mother’. Heroism does not always live on the battlefield.

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