The Latin word for heart, cor, forms the basis of courage. Even though one definition of this word is "the ability to do something that frightens." Another definition is "strength in the presence of pain or fear." True courage is strength of heart not just action. Take your cue from your heart. It is that compelling emotion that comes from deep within.
The prefix dis is powerful. It reverses or negates whatever comes after it.
It is a word that means something has happened to change the environment and
attitude. Whatever once was is no longer. If you are discouraged, it means at one time you had
courage. At one time, you had heart. Your strength is waning. How can we have
courage again?
1.
Ask for what you need: Don’t hold things in
anymore. Ask for a raise, or a date, or whatever it is that you have been
holding in the back of your mind too afraid to utter. Even if the answer is no,
you will know that you’ve at least tried and should feel good about that.
2. Defy the norm: Just because things
have always been done a certain way, it doesn’t mean that is the only of
the best way. Try something new, put yourself out there. Courage should be a
daily practice, where you listen to your heart and act accordingly. So let go
of the reigns and be brave today. I’m
impatient and intolerant in the absence of integrity, trust and accountability.
I stand for high
quality and hold myself to a high standard. I believe pretty much anything is
possible and am still learning (often, the hard way) not to confuse that with
‘I can do everything right now’. Ask yourself these questions: What used to move me to action? When was the last time I
felt joy or anger?
What was it about? How can I recover that energized feeling
again? What is something I see in the world around me that I would like to
change? How can I become involved in the process of change?
3.
Learn to say no: Stop putting someone
else’s needs ahead of your own. You often feel obliged to a friend or family
member to do something that causes stress or anxiety. Say no to that. You might
hurt their feelings, but they will get over it and you will feel better for it.
4.
Let go: As contradictory as
it seems, it is often easier to hold on to something that causes us pain, than
what it is to let go. Your cause becomes your crutch: that thing that happened
to you ends up defining you. To let go of a painful event in your past takes tremendous
courage because it has become a part of your identity, but it is also holding
you back on so many levels.
By letting go of that
emotion you take back control of your life. And this is not only true of big,
life-changing events: we also hold on to the little negativities in our
everyday lives.
5.
Speak your truth: Be brave with your
emotions and speak your mind. Bottling up your emotions only leads to an
unneeded outburst.
“Courage is what it takes
to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”(Winston
Churchill)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
5 Ways to Get Your Courage Back” by Donna Woolam
·
“5 Ways to Show Courage Every Day” by Ann Baret
Inspired by a lesson I
taught at my small group on Thursday, March 8, 2018, entitled “Are You
Courageous?”
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