Three Ways to Embrace Courage
Have you ever seen the Wizard of Oz? There was not a year that I did not enjoy watching and anticipating Dorothy getting back home. Dorothy helped her aunt and uncle care for the farm. One day she and her dog Toto were caught up in a Tornado and landed in Emerald City, where the road had yellow bricks. She had to have the courage to walk down the yellow brick road to get to the Wizard, who allegedly had the power to get her back to Kansas. Along the way, she met her posse, the cowardly lion who needed courage, the tin man who needed a heart, and the scarecrow who wanted a brain. I loved the fictional story because it required them to have courage, not just the lion, to have their desired lives.
What is courage? The dictionary defines courage as the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, and pain. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us to “be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. I mention the Bible verse because God told the Israelites to have courage and good courage. Yes, good courage because God is with us. God let the Israelites know that one of the main ingredients to move forward is courage which is key to our success. Whoever people serve is on them, but what gives me comfort in knowing that I am not alone on the journey. It was not easy for Dorothy and her posse to go after their dreams, but they did, and they did it with fear, worry, and uncertainty knocking at their feet.
How do we exhibit courage?
1. Feel the Fear!
My girlfriend and I use to say we have to feel the fear and do it anyway. Yes, feel fear, anxiety, and do it anyway.
2. Do not Mask!
We can mask our lives with many things. We can veil with, “I need more money, get my kids through school, and need more time.” The list goes on. When we use our creative juices instead of roadblocks, we never know what doors might open.
3. Keep Looking Forward
A quote by Colin Powell says that “always focus on the front windshield and not the rearview mirror.” To move forward and obtain our dreams, we cannot look in the rearview mirror. We must look ahead and see the possibilities.
These are just a few of the attributes of courage. I want to mention that when Dorothy found her posse along the way, she found her team. Let’s not go this journey of courage along bring others.