We Were Made To Be Courageous

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new opportunity begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! I am so excited for this day! As the great theologian and inspirational speaker, Pooh, once said, "I have never seen this one before!" :)

Someone who I love dearly, who means the world to me, is currently dealing with fear. Ever been there? Have you ever felt so much fear that you felt paralyzed? You were afraid to move, try something or perhaps so filled with fear that it was difficult to even get out of bed and face the day. Me too! You see, we all feel fear. I don't think we were created to not feel fear, it can be healthy and protect us from danger. We were, however, created to be courageous when the fear is unhealthy.

I am a product of the 80's which means I grew up with "No Fear" and "Just Do It." When I was a kid, and well into adulthood, I thought that I shouldn't feel fear. As a matter of fact, a number of years ago I wrote a Happy Friday about not being fearful. I have a dear friend, a great man who had served this country as one of our elite fighter pilots in the Air Force, who sent  me an email after that Happy Friday. He gently rebuked me, pointing out that we all in fact experience fear but that the truly great one's among us do what we must do anyways, they exhibit great courage. 

This morning my hope is to put some tools in your toolbox of life. To educate ourselves about fear and courage and to provide you with some excerpts from lessons taught about being courageous.

Merriam-Webster.com defines courage as, "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty."
The very definition tells us that danger, fear and difficulty are elements of courage. It is not the absence of these things that make us courageous, it is going on in spite of them that makes us courageous. We were not made to be without fear, danger is very real and life is difficult. But Sweet Friends, you and I were made to be courageous.

In studying, I found an article posted on August 23, 2012 on psychologytoday.com titled, "The Six Attributes of Courage." I would like to share some excerpts with you. All of the information shared below, including the quotes, comes from this article.

Attribute #1
Feeling Fear Yet Choosing to Act

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." - Nelson Mandela

"Being terrified but going ahead and doing what must be done - that's courage. The one who feels no fear is a fool, and the one who lets fear rule him is a coward." - Piers Anthony

Attribute #2
Following Your Heart

"Passion is what drives us crazy, what makes us do extraordinary things, to discover, to challenge ourselves. Passion is and should always be the heart of courage." - Midori Komatsu

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself." - Soren Kierkegaard

Attribute #3
Persevering in the Face of Adversity

"When we are afraid, we ought not to occupy ourselves with endeavoring to prove that there is no danger, but in strengthening ourselves to go on in spite of the danger." - Mark Rutherford

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them." - Orison Swett Marden

Attribute #4
Standing Up For What Is Right

"Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself." - N.D. Wilson

"From caring comes courage." - Lao Tzu

Attribute #5
Expanding Your Horizons; Letting Go of the Familiar

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." - Lord Chesterfield

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anais Nin

Attribute #6
Facing Suffering With Dignity or Faith

"The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances." - Aristotle

"A man of courage is also full of faith." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

And then I found this post titled, "10 Elements of Courage," at franksonnenbergonline.com. It was written on September 15, 2015.

10 Elements of Courage
People with courage possess ten shared characteristics. They should remain as guideposts in your journey through life:

SELF-CONFIDENCE. Courageous people believe in themselves. They know who they are and what they stand for.

CONVICTION. You always know where courageous people stand. They're passionate about their beliefs and values and have consistent and predictable behavior.

INTEGRITY. Courageous people know the difference between right and wrong. They don't just talk about honor, they live it every day - backing their words with their actions.

LEADERSHIP. Courageous people aren't deterred by adversity or afraid of what people may think of them.

COMPASSION. Courageous people put other people's needs ahead of their own.

OBJECTIVITY. Courageous people believe that people are willing to make tough decisions if the options are presented to them in an open, honest, and objective manner.

STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY. Courageous people aren't afraid of swimming against the tide or challenging the status quo. They stare adversity in the eye - running toward the problem rather than from it.

CHANGE MASTERS. Courageous people step outside their comfort zone to meet the challenges that lie ahead.

EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN. Courageous people follow their intuition. If information required to make a good decision isn't available, they follow their instincts.

ACTION. Courageous people put their money where their mouth is. They know that it's not enough to talk about doing something - instead, they act.

And finally, I want to share excerpts from an article titled, "4 Ironic Characteristics Of Courage." It was posted on blog.np.church and it was written by Jones Bob on April 5, 2018.

4 Ironic Characteristics Of Courage
1. Courage is not something that you already have that makes you brave when tough times start. Courage is what you earn when you've been through tough times.

2. Courage is not being fearless; courage is feeling afraid but facing your fear. Courage comes from acting in spite of your fear.

3. Courage doesn't always roar. Courage is choosing to forgive. Courage is coping with a disability. Courage is being vulnerable, asking for help, or admitting when you feel lost or hurt. Courage is freeing ourselves from the pressure of keeping up appearances.

4. Courage must be renewed. Yesterday's courage won't be enough for today's challenges. Courage must be re-learned and re-earned with each new adversity. That's the nature of courage. So don't be surprised by returning feelings of fear. They need to be faced again and again.

Look Sweet Friends, whoever you are and wherever you are, fear is normal. We all experience it. You and I were not made to not feel fear. We were however made to be courageous. My hope & prayer for every one of us is that we will courageously live this blessed life!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families!

Kev