What does it take to be courageous?
Is it climbing a mountain, winning a race, is it sailing the oceans, or is it coping with a life threatening illness, abuse or the misfortunes of life?
Courage can be anything you want it to be, and for many of us it's not these big life changing things that actually take the most courage. Often the dramatic things that happen in our lives we deal with, because we have to, our survival instincts kick in and when you look back you coped admirably and amazing in a time of great change and shock and trauma.
Yes, you were courageous in your own way, however sometimes its the small things that take the most courage.
Making decisions in life threatening or stressful situations can often be easier because you have to make a decisions. There is no room for procrastination or that self-doubt fairy. All your instincts are to survive and so you do. Often we look back on our lives and wonder how you coped with all of the crap in life, but then a small thing tips you over the edge.
You may wonder why is it that you can make decisions for everyone else, but when it comes to doing something for you, you can't do it.
It's so much easier to do this for other people but making decisions for ourselves can feel selfish, indulgent and this isn't courage, is it?
Often it takes more courage to make some of these non life threatening decisions.
Perhaps you want to quit your career of 20 years and become a yoga teacher. Your inner self doubt may worry what people will think and consider you mad to give up a well paid career to do something so "Reckless". You may think, "Not now." "In a year" "When I've bought my own home" "When I've paid my debts" "When the kids leave school, university etc" "when I know what's going on with the world".
Does this sound familiar to you?
Making that first step and takin the courage to do it can be incredibly difficult, you may only make half a step forward and then go back 2 steps, you doubt yourself and others may pour scorn on your dreams and ideas.
Finding your life purpose and following your dreams and desires can often for some people take more courage than running that marathon, than caring for a sick relative, than coping with loss and grief. Because Courage comes naturally to us in those moments and we often have to force courage to take the next step in things that might seem "self-indulgent".
For some people courage may be getting out of bed, or going for a walk. Courage may be signing up for a class or booking to see a coach or counsellor. Courage may be giving time to your own self-care, to start that journey of re-discovery of your self, to spend time working on personal development.
Courage could be doing exercise for the first time in years or it could be saying "NO" to something or someone.
This week focus on one courageous thing, you can do for you? It could be tiny, but for you it will be massive.
Have Courage.
Bright Blessings
Haulwen
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