Courageous: Definition:
not deterred by danger or pain;
brave. The state or quality of mind or
spirit that enables one to face
danger, fear or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution.
Synonym:
brave, bold, valiant, plucky,
gallant, hardy
When I think of courageous and courage, I proudly think
of my high school pals who are currently serving our country in the army, navy
and air force. I fondly remember the
members of the RCMP detachments that I volunteered with. I smile and think of my friends who are in
the mission field, and have been for most of their lives, if not the entirety
of it. I am proud of the women in my
life who have left undesirable, dangerous relationships, and still love
unconditionally.
It takes a courageous woman to leave all that and all who
she knows, to start fresh in a different part of Canada. I did it, twice. I left Toronto, Ontario on a Royal Airline
Flight, not knowing who will be meeting me in Regina International
Airport. It was one of the best things
that I ever did- left all behind in Ontario, started fresh in
Saskatchewan. I was stretched, I grew,
and I fell in love with a new way of life.
The second time, I moved from Saskatchewan to Alberta, in the middle of
the night- having to spend the first night alone in a bus station until I could
move into my suite in the morning. It
was a good move- I was forced to be independent and I was stretched and pulled
into who I became.
Courageous moves happen all round us, all the time. Someone puts their name in to run for City Counselor,
who is just wants to make a difference. It
is a courageous move, as they are moving forward with confidence, with a
boldness to put themselves out there. A
man chooses and decides that he is going to live as long as he can, while dying
of cancer, in a homeless shelter, is courageous. He changes the way society views homeless,
the way we all view the choice of dying with dignity. A
woman moves out a of a house she turned into a home for many years, leaves behind
memories, friends and life as she knows it- is courageous. She has the boldness to stand up for herself
after years of putting herself last. She
is courageous as she does not know what is a head of her, and yet she is determined
to be happy, to be confident, to be true to herself. These folks are courageous as they are
afraid, yet they still choose to move forward, make themselves take action or
stand up for what they want.
Living courageously means to move! Just do it, and do so
with confidence! The first time will be
the hardest; however, the next time will be easier! It is a choice, a healthy
one even, to take that first step, and to do so with confidence, self esteem
and self love. It all starts with the
choice, followed by the push of self, and followed by end result of happiness,
contentment, love.
How can we choose to live courageously today, in this
moment? Step outside of your
boundaries. Have you met your neighbors
yet? Be bold, and introduce
yourself. Are you living in a fear?
Write down that fear, and three steps that you can take today to help end that
fear. Are there feelings/emotions that
you cannot describe or talk to anyone about?
Call the distress centre, write to a mentor center, walk into a church,
or grab a coffee with a buddy.
Courageous living starts with the decision to do so.
"Courage
is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is
more important than fear."- Ambrose Redmoon
It does indeed take courage to start a new life for yourself in a new place. It takes courage to enter new relationships, particularly if you've been thru bad ones. It takes courage to speak to strangers and courage to stand up for what you believe in. Courage should be a class taught in school! Every little step we make to move our lives foward in the direction of love is a step of courage, and it grows stronger every time we do! Great post!!!
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