Courage.

[labelleizzy]

Courage is a muscle that gets stronger the more you use it.

If I am brave, that is because I practiced bravery until it became habit.

Any of us can do it. Many, most of us have. Mostly we choose to be brave when the other choice seems intolerable : to stay in the infuriating job or the marriage that fails to feed us, to give up on the needs of our children, to knuckle under in the face of some illness or other burden that feels overwhelming.

Courage is a decision.
Patience is a decision.
Grace is a decision, and so is hope.

Some days I make my choice again and again and again. I try to choose courage, I try to choose hope, I try to choose faith in myself and humanity.

Some times I fail. Then the challenge is to get up again and make a new choice.


"I get up.
I walk.
I fall down.
Meanwhile, I keep dancing."

(Hillel, via Renee Locks)

Posted via LjBeetle

Comments

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

Perhaps not as erudite, but this is my soundtrack for when I need to say these things to myself: (sorry about the intro ad!)



It occurs to me afterward that this is perhaps not encouraging to anyone but me, but hey, you never know.

[serendipity17.livejournal.com]

My fridge has BrushDance magnets on it. This quote is one of them.

[celticmoni.livejournal.com]

I like this. I could practice some better traits myself

[zpdiduda.livejournal.com]

If I am brave, that is because I practiced bravery until it became habit.

...Mostly we choose to be brave when the other choice seems intolerable...

Thought-provoking. In most of the circumstances described (not including romantic relationships), I tend not to think about the intolerable choice as a choice at all. I can't give up on my child. I can't knuckle under in the face of illness because if I do, I won't meet my needs and those of my child. Is this a habit of bravery or just pragmatism? What do I lose by not seeing the intolerable as a choice?

Thanks for sharing this, Liz!

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's exactly where I had that quote also.

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

I've always loved the chorus to that one. The drinking bits... well. the sheer ballsiness of the chorus trumps that bit, and my issues are my issues.

(yes, I agree tis encouraging and upbeat.)

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

You know as well as I do, Sue, that there are parents who do not do for their children what you do for yours.
It is a choice.
Many times we just do what we know is right - but sometimes it is good to realize that we CHOSE to do right, and we keep choosing that, and those choices build the future we want most.

hope>fear
love>indifference
art>ugliness

[agengrgal.livejournal.com]

Agreed! Courage, patience, grace, hope, and getting back up *are* decisions! Having the strength to make the right decision is true strength!

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

I resonate with what you say here. I've been told I'm brave, when I would have said, well, what are you gonna do? I forget that yes... the intolerable is a choice too.

Thank you for the post and the comment, both of you.