Courage

So this guy comes over to serve me a coffee in a small coffee shop in Malaysia. We got to talking and he started telling me his life story. This guy was a young man that was from Myanmar. He was in Malaysia living and working illegally after running away from Myanmar in the middle of the night with a group of 18 people. They swam in the sea to small boats which brought them to Thailand where they walked through the jungles in the dark for days and then crossed into Malaysia. At the time that I met him he was struggling to get refugee status in the US or Canada. I was amazed at his story and was thinking what courage he must have had to make it through that journey.

Courage is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I've been thinking that it's something we need when we face difficult decisions or are facing changes in our lives. Sometimes I am more courageous than others. The Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz was in search of his courage only to find out that he already was courageous. Sometimes I forget that I am courageous. I've been asking myself when have I been courageous and what has that allowed me to overcome?Also, in what situations in my current life do I need to muster up some courage? I've also been thinking that it's really important to exercise my courage, as the more acts of courage that I engage myself in, the more courageous I will become.

Some quotes on courage...

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
- Raymond Lindquist

With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity.
- Keshavan Nair

Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice
at the end of the day, saying,
"I will try again tomorrow."
- Mary Anne Radmacher

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
-Walt Disney

It Takes Courage...
It takes courage to be yourself.
It takes courage to overcome your fears.
It takes courage to do what seems impossible.
It takes courage to take steps on a journey.
It takes courage to follow your dreams.
It takes courage to make decisions.
It takes courage to believe.
It takes courage to get up after you've fallen.
It takes courage to succeed.
It takes courage to be integral.
It takes courage to love.
It takes courage to experience adventure.
It takes courage to look within yourself.
It takes courage to communicate and negotiate.
It takes courage to make a change.

When have you been courageous?