ON COURAGE
It is when things are at their darkest and when we are feeling the deepest sense of isolation that we most need our courage.
Regardless of where I go, regardless of the peaks I summit or the joy that I embrace, I inevitably end up staring into the broken and empty parts of myself, unknowing if I can continue. The truth is, to truly experience those peaks of bliss, the moments of self-reflection in the darkness are necessary. I must be willing to humble myself before the teachings of my own darkness and be courageous enough to welcome its wisdom.
Courage is not brashness. It does not laugh in the face of its opposition, but steadies us and guides us when no other help is accessible. It gives us the fortitude to meet our despair and the resoluteness to step beyond it.
Courage allows us to soften and bend when we are stretched beyond our limits. Courage opens our heart when all we want to do is defend our position. Courage is the hand that holds ours in the loneliest of places we have ever know. Courage reminds us that we are always infinitely more than we may seem to ourselves in any given moment.
Quite often, when we are most courageous, we are unaware of our own strength. Somehow, we find our way through the tangle of restriction and opposition, unsure of how we did so. It was our courage, silent, still, and strong, that brought us safely to the other side.
It takes exceptional courage to wait for the light when it does not seem to be coming any time soon.
By virtue of the fact that we are, each one of us, standing here today – with a list of injuries and a backlog of loss and betrayal -we are courageous. When we have the ability to laugh despite our intense heartbreak, or dance despite our oppression, our courage has gained in its magnitude and we can rest assured we will not be without its gifts.
Wherever you find yourself at this moment, and regardless of whether you see yourself as courageous, know that you are. Your courage, like a well-used muscle, is only getting stronger with each step that you take.
The most courageous among us become beacons for everyone we touch. We do not get as lost in the uncertainty of others’ pain. We can stand assuredly and look this suffering straight in the eyes, knowing that this too has its time and place.
We, the courageous, learn to call others back to their truth without blinking. We learn to forgive everyone, including ourselves, for the momentary weaknesses. And then, with this same resolve, our courage teaches us how to again open to life’s joys, completely and without hesitation.
All of this, with the help of courage, we learn to share.
And if, at the end of our lives, we are left with a smile and with an open heart, we are the real warriors of life and our courageous hearts will echo their wisdom throughout time.