Courage

Shows Up In the Darnedest Places! #133

Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash

open in the app or online.

I don’t necessarily see myself as courageous, but - maybe - I’m beginning to change that thinking after reading the article, Courage In Our Everyday Life. The author said

Have you ever thought of courage in the context of your everyday life? I know it seems strange because how we traditionally think of courage doesn’t seem as if it would apply to our daily goings-on. And yet, parenting, chronic pain, marriage, being ‘gobsmacked’ by illness, grief, showing up to the running class for the first time.

It’s not about heroes or heroism but about facing one’s fears and being brave in the face of adversity - having the guts to stand up for what you believe in even when it may not be popular or when others judge you.

Courage helps people take risks, think things through, and accomplish their goals. It also helps them believe in themselves and their actions - to be aware of fears and how to work with them to achieve what they need to do.

With that in mind, I am - and everybody is - courageous. It takes resolve to start something new, disagree with an authority figure, or voice a contrary opinion.

In that case, I plan to

• View mistakes as lessons I’m learning - some take longer than others.

• Look at projects through the lens of experimenting - a view that takes the pressure off for some reason.

• Find a positive in each situation - there must be something.

• Balance assertiveness with kindness. The author of the article, Why We Struggle With Balancing Assertiveness and Kindness and How to Make Them Both Work For You, introduced me to a new idea. My heart is kind, but I’m not very good at expressing my needs or dealing with conflict. So, something to begin practicing.

To live our best lives, we must put our houses in order; I’m not talking about wills, trusts, or living to 105. I’m referring to coming of age emotionally, spiritually, and in our closest relationships - facing and overcoming, rather than avoiding, fears about getting older, compassionately greeting our older selves, carving out action plans for our best possible future, and making peace with life itself.

So says Dr. Ken Druck in his book Courageous Aging.

Aging takes courage - for sure. Our bodies don’t work as they did, and health issues raise their ugly heads. We can’t do everything we want to. There are numerous losses - of loved ones, hopes and dreams, beliefs and habits, and the world as we knew it.

But we all have courage, even if it’s been in hiding for years. So, let’s resurrect it and age well together.

If you want to contribute to my work, consider donating to the Alzheimers Association. This link takes you to their website. The choice is yours.