Learning to Live with Courage that Defies All Things

“Courage is the discovery that you may not win. And trying when you know you can lose.” – Unknown 

I’ve recently been faced with the task of making some extremely tough decisions regarding my life. Decisions that have required me to dig deep within myself, remain still so I could hear that small still voice of wisdom daily and finally, look squarely at “the thing” which brings me the most angst and fear at times and finally, confront the decision I make with courage. 

The courage to know that I did my best to examine every aspect, whether positive or negative. The courage to accept that I did my best at each juncture, with what I understood at the time. The courage to know that even if my decision proves to not be best one over time, I will continue to live my life without regret or guilt, because I gave my all with integrity and truth during that season. 

Is this a formula to promote self well being? I wish it were, but it’s not. My story is not your story, however we can always learn from one another. The most important thing is we live in integrity during these seasons of our lives. The type of integrity that defies our feelings and emotions, reputations and the well-wishes of our friends and family. 

Our loved ones, aces and besties come to our aid in times of duress and God bless them for this, however this type journey is usually not meant to walk holding hands with another. It is meant for “the one” that is facing the travail, because the discovery and the learning yet to be revealed happens somewhere in the midst of the season…alone. So, like it or not, we must muster up the courage, dig in our heels and prepare for the battle of our lives. 

Not necessarily a physical life and death thing, but certainly an emotional or spiritual one, which at the end of the day impacts everything else in our lives. So it is imperative that we connect with it at that deeper level of understanding. The understanding that goes beyond our egos, seeking only to be right, politically correct or attacking simple surface issues. 

During this time, it may seem as if we’re doing real work, however we are still at that stage of spinning our wheels. Perhaps a lot of things are happening, or maybe we are declaring things out loud, but we are still going nowhere. Sound familiar?  The real work will happen in the shadows of our lives where no one is able to see. 

Then one day, the manifestation of that work comes full circle. And perhaps not in the happy ending picture that we always anticipated, but nonetheless it is a happy ending, because we got the lesson. We connected with it in a way that will forever change our lives for the better. All because we chose to have courage, not simply in the moment, but from that day forward.

Keep Pressing,

Hank G

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