Categories
inspiration

Profile in Courage: Recognize The Courage In You (Pt. 3 of 7)

Just because something might be harder for you to do, or take you longer to do, is not a reason to avoid the challenge. In fact, a willingness to take on a challenge despite the obvious difficulties it will present, demonstrates a greater act of courage than any accomplishment by someone for whom it would be considered ‘easy.’

Courage is when you don’t see the full way ahead, but you start anyway. Courage is when you decide that instead of putting your life into someone else’s hand, you are going to take charge and set about building the best life you can. Courage is leaving an abusive relationship even though you don’t know how you will make ends meet. Courage is leaving your comfort zone in pursuit of your dream.

Ascribing to yourself – or to others – a level of courage, success, or even effort solely on the basis of meeting a specific goal is to miss the fact that courage at times is not tangible. In other words, you cannot judge something someone does as having been ‘courageous’ just because they do something. I believe that courage is to be assessed by factors that are often internal to the person experiencing a particular fear or trepidation.

It is therefore not fair to deny yourself the satisfaction of each small step you make; it is not fair to deny yourself the patience you need when you have tried and failed; it is not fair to deny yourself the forgiveness you need when you ‘fall off the wagon’ and are back at Day One in your tracking; it is not fair to deny yourself the opportunity you need to grow into someone you can be proud of, recognizing that you are not yet who you want to be but you are working on it – you are working on YOU!

It is not fair to deny yourself the freedom you need to recognize and celebrate your victories as you go about exercising the courage you have within you.

Categories
inspiration

Profile in Courage: Recognize what Courage Is (Pt. 1 of 7)

So often we fail to give ourselves credit for some accomplishment, because we either see it as something we ‘should be able to do anyways;’ or perhaps it is something that society dictates that we should have already done.

These expectations help to shape our vision of what success looks like, and sometimes even have preconceptions of what it will take to get us there. We think about the destination, but sometimes forget to recognize the importance of the journey itself. While possible, achieving success might not be easy, and if we allow our fear to take root, that can easily guarantee failure. But should that stop us from trying?

To some people, mastery of the most complex processes will come easy; to others not so much. To some people, carrying out the most daring or challenging activity will come easy; again to others, not so much.

Courage is not the absence of fear; instead it is choosing to push forward even in the face of fear. It is about confronting a challenge even when all the indicators point to defeat or failure, just because you recognize there is a greater good to be achieved by the mere fact that you are willing to attempt to fight your way through.

Your situation, whatever it happens to be – but especially if it seems impossible – is your opportunity to demonstrate courage!

O. N. Rowe

Courage looks different for different people. For some, courage is standing up for what you know is right, no matter how unpopular it makes you. Courage is being willing to forgive someone because deep down you know it is the best thing for you, even when to others it appears that it’s because you are weak. Courage is not a loud shout; instead it is a quiet purring that slowly but surely tears down the wall of fear that you, or society, have put up around you.

Courage comes in many forms, and to those who do not know your story, it might be mistaken as insanity. Courage is choosing to proceed nevertheless. Some might mischaracterize your fear as cowardice. Well if they only knew how courageous you are being by choosing to confront it anyway!

Categories
changes Embracing Change motivation personal growth

So you have changed; and that’s a good thing!

Without the process of change, the caterpillar would never become a beautiful butterfly

So someone says you have changed – and that might be the best compliment ever!

Stagnation is not only boring, it is also dangerous. No matter how much you enjoy who you are today, or enjoy what you do today, don’t expect this to be the case always. It should NOT be the case always.

You see, change is a natural part of life. Take a look in the mirror; do you look the same as you did five, or 10, or 15 years ago? Aging is not something you DO, it is something that HAPPENS! Almost without realizing it, you are changing.

Similarly, your different experiences lead to a constant evolving of your outlook on life, the goals you have set for yourself, your level of general maturity, your capacity to tolerate hardships, among other benefits. When someone says ‘You haven’t changed one bit,’ that is not necessarily a good thing!

Embrace changes, not only in your external environment, but more importantly from within! The hardest thing to conquer is one’s self. Bringing our base impulses under subjection is a difficult task, especially when those impulses are inconsistent with what we know to be best for us! Nevertheless we should always aim to aspire to greater things: greater love for others; greater humility; greater self-control; greater awareness of our need for ‘community’; and above al else, greater willingness to submit to the power and authority of our Heavenly Father!

So next time someone says ‘you have changed’ just respond ‘Oh thank you for the compliment! I have been working hard at it!’

#change, #growth, #changeisgood, #youcandoit, #embracechange, #dailymotivation, #dailyinspiration