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At one time, I believed courage meant the complete absence of fear.
Of course, that kind of thinking disqualified me from ever being brave.
Now I know that courage and fear often — if not always — go hand in hand. Being afraid doesn’t disqualify me or you from also being courageous. We can face a personal Goliath and hang on, all the while hiding our fear … or admitting it … and come out on the other side victorious.
Maybe there are some people who are courageous through and through. Bravo for them. But fearlessness can be imperfect and be enough. Endurance can mean you remember holding on minute by excruciating minute … and win the day.
Today, if you are facing something that seems bigger than you, I encourage you to keep holding on. One minute at a time. Be brave. You are in my prayers.
In Others’ Words: How do you define courage?
[ctt template=”8″ link=”W8e2p” via=”yes” ]In Others\’ Words: Keep Holding On http://wp.me/p63waO-2kn #InOthersWords #quotes #bebrave [/ctt] [ctt template=”8″ link=”3WHDm” via=”yes” ]\”Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2kn #quotes #GeorgeSPatton #courage[/ctt]
Comments 6
Courage is something I don’t try to define, because I don’t believe it applies to me. I am where I am, and have no choice; I’m terrified by some of the things that happen, and by others that loom, but there’s nothing I can do about them. I do try to maintain a good attitude.
Being positive and looking forward isn’t really courage, though. It’s logic; not having a choice, it behooves one to use every possible avenue to a more productive and useful life, for as long as one has.
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Andrew: Others would consider you courageous, whether you would say so or not. Choosing to be positive in the face of daily challenges is a certain type of bravery because so many others give into negativity and despair. Looking forward and continuing to live for something — for others — is also a selfless act of courage, too.
Somewhere along the way I leared that the root word “cour” from the Romance languages means “heart, so “encourage” means to build up the heart, “discourage” means to take the heart out of, almost like pagan sacrifice, which is what the enemy tries to do. I love Psalms that have many expressions regarding strengthening our hearts including one especially that is also a song, “He is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”–can’t do better than that.
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Dee: You’ve shared that truth with me before and I’m so thankful you shared it here today with even more clarity. Finding others who encourage us is so vital to living life out loud … to being brave, to avoiding the trap of disCOURagement the enemy tries to lure us into.
Courage is doing what we should do even when we fear doing it.
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A simple and profound definition of courage, Pat.