“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’” Mary Anne Radmacher
We have been together doing self-reflections for 14 days. So, you are used to humoring me and my experiments. Today let’s begin by having you close your eyes and recall a picture of courage. What is the first thing that comes to your mind’s eye? A mother lion fiercely protecting her cubs despite the odds? A soldier marching into war to defend his or her country?
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines courage as “Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. This means that courage is very specific to the person or being acting and relative to the situation. I find this encouraging because it honors the diversity present in the world. It means that courage can be almost anything.
As a counselor I see courageous acts every day. Each day when a client shows up in my office despite preferring to stay in bed. When I have an honest encounter where someone with an eating disorder lets me know that he or she has relapsed I am in the presence of courage. What may be habit to me may be an act of remarkable courage to you and vice versa.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
1. When do you find it necessary to be courageous?
2. Why do you need to do something that is so far out of your comfort zone to begin with?
3. What does that say about you?
GUIDANCE
If you are having a difficult time remembering the last time you acted courageously think about the quote this blog post began with. Are you only counting your roars as courageous? If so, take a step back and recall the last time you set the intention to try again tomorrow.