Seeking courage
What is Courage? This is a question that I have tried to answer my whole life. It seems like a simple concept, but the more I thought about it the more complicated it seemed. Not so much the idea of courage itself, but rather the idea of having courage. Fear has been a huge barrier for as long as I can remember. Throughout my life I began to notice that not many people struggled with fear to the extent I did. Therefore, it made me question how they had courage and why I did not. It seemed impossible to me and I just did not understand it. Later in life I realized that my perspective on fear and courage was wrong. I came to realize that courage and fear was a choice. Not so much having fear, but what I chose to do with that fear: let it control me, or control it. That is where courage comes from. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather control of fear. All these people that I thought didn’t have fear, really did. They were not just born courageous, they chose to be. I am nowhere close to where I hope to be, and fear is still a daily struggle. However, knowing that I ultimately have control over it helps me overcome small obstacles each day. I know I am not the only one to struggle with fear, so to whomever may be battling the same thing: you have the power to decide how you face each situation. You can do this.
“Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’.” -Mary Anne Radmacher
