Courage Lives in the Heart

Yeah, I was looking for images to upload on Courage, and honest to goodness what I found was nothing but crap, really honestly and so I took this one. It really made me wonder about my own definition of courage, so I looked up the word "Optimism" in the dictionary, this is what I found to be germane to this particular thought process: an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome. Then I had to look up the word germane, (cuz we all know I just can't spell), before I looked up the word courage, because God forbid, I can't make a mistake. But anyway, Courage is defined as: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. So is optimism the foundation of courage? In my life I would have to answer a resounding NO! I mean what is the sound of one hand clapping?

It feels to me like the most courageous acts have been taken by sheer will and lack of other choices. Like coming up against a concrete wall and banging my head until the pain was no longer bearable. I also didn't see them as being courageous, but was informed later, by others that they had been. Optimism was not an option and for someone like me, however happy pappy I sound, never has been. I fight with optimism. I slap it in the face and keep on slapping until it turns and walks away, and still I have courage. Or as I have been told on many occasions, "That took a lot of balls!" Of course we all know, I was born without testicles and why having courage is relegated to those with testosterone is beyond me. So I'm gonna say, it took a lot of ovaries and of those I have 2, so truly, hormones have no place in any conversation about courage.

True courage lives in the heart of a person. True courage takes self examination, self responsibility and the willingness to own up to your mistakes. True courage comes in admitting you don't have all the answers. True courage is being able to humble yourself in the presence of others. True courage is forgiveness in it's highest form. True courage is doing the right thing in circumstances where your ego would have the better of you. True courage is being open and honest to the best of your ability without hurting another, without shaming another. True courage is about knowing when to stay and when to walk away, it's about navigating in a world with others instead of slamming up against them until they break. True courage is never forcing your will upon another, it about leading by example and being decent and kind in as much measure as possible. It's about knowing when you are lying and manipulating and finagling to get what you want without once wondering if it is the best for everyone involved. I've been there and I've done that and I've given it up because in my heart I know it's just wrong. And we all, well most of us, have that inner compass too. True courage is about tuning into that inner compass and doing what's right for everyone even if it hurts . . .