(Photo Credit: If_I_Were_King_of_the_Forest Wizard of Oz Warner Brothers)
In my humble opinion, we must summon the courage to face life on life’s terms – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It does not matter where you came from, what religion or non-religion you were raised with or practice, the color of your skin, your age, your economic background, because life rains on the just and the unjust. We all have our crosses to bear.
In facing my mom’s mortality at the end of her life as her health declined from type two diabetes and end-stage renal failure, I was given the courage to suit up and show up for her every day. Courage is the ability to do something in the face of fear, despite the consequences, and to summon the strength in the face of pain or grief.
I have also watched parents in my community keep a positive attitude as their child battles terminal cancer and wonder how they are even able to get out of bed to face the reality of their life each day. Courage.
How do firefighters show up to fight a wildfire that claims the forestland of Canadian areas like Vancouver, Manitoba, or Ontario, which are almost impossible to extinguish? Courage.
In the face of a societal collapse or an impending recession, people still get up, go to work, care for their families to the best of their ability, and do what is expected of them. How can they? Courage. And maybe a large dose of hope helps too—hope of better days to come. For me, faith helps grow my hope, prayer helps grow my faith, trust eases my fears, and meditation helps calm my mind.
One particular prayer that reduces my anxiety and helps to keep depression at bay is the Serenity Prayer – the complete, long version.
God ~
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference
Living one day at a time
Enjoying one moment at a time
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace
Taking, as You did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it
Trusting that You will make all things right
If I surrender to Your Will
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with You
Forever and ever in the next
Amen.
Here is a list of a few basic tasks and real-life examples of courage:
- Asking questions, admitting you do not know
- Facing fears head-on
- Saying no
- Sharing a mistake to help someone else not feel alone
- Standing up for yourself
- Apologizing, admitting when you are wrong
- Being vulnerable
- Letting go and forgiving
- Overcoming fear of speaking in front of a group
- Standing up to injustice
- Showing compassion
- Facing an addiction and asking for help
- Leaving a toxic relationship
- To make mistakes and be open to the lessons
- To change
Examples of courageous people
In addition to the everyday people in our communities, both nationally and internally, we can also look to some of those folks who made the history books as examples of how we, too, might be courageous people ourselves.
According to Be Courageous, the following people have paved the way for others through their own acts of courage, “Malala Yousafzai’s courage became internationally known when she was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating girls’ education in Pakistan, where girls were banned from school. Despite facing life-threatening threats and violence, she continued to take a stand for others’ whose voices were not currently being heard.
Oskar Schindler was a businessman who used his enamelware and ammunition factory in Nazi-occupied Poland to save over 1,200 Jewish workers during the Holocaust. He risked his life by offering shelter, food, and protection to preserve the lives of the innocent. Schindler is a brave symbol of hope and resistance during one of the darkest periods of human history.
John Lewis experienced numerous physical assaults and arrests while participating in civil rights demonstrations, including the historic Selma to Montgomery march in 1965. His bravery and advocacy for racial equality helped shape the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which had a profound impact on dismantling racial segregation and discrimination. Throughout his life, he remained dedicated to fighting for justice and equality, inspiring future generations to follow his path of peaceful resistance and activism.
Marsha P. Johnson played a pivotal role in the early LGBTQ+ rights movement. As a Black transgender woman, she was a prominent figure at the historic Stonewall Inn riots in 1969, a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. She co-founded the Gay Liberation Front and the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), organizations dedicated to supporting marginalized transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals.
We are all faced with decisions daily that we can either act on from a place of courage or a place of fear,”.
Some more notable mentions of courageous, impactful people of the last 100 years:
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Mother Teresa
- Nelson Mandela
- Rosa Parks
Movies about courage and strength
One of my favorite movies as a child, and even today, is The Wizard of Oz. A favorite scene is when the Cowardly Lion sings about courage. In fact, as a teenager, I worked in customer service at my best friend’s family-owned costume shop. A group of us dressed up as the cast of The Wizard of Oz, and I went as the Lion. The last part of the Cowardly Lion’s scene in The Wizard of Oz about courage is as follows:
“Lion: What makes a King out of a slave?
Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave?
Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk, in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?
What makes the muskrat guard his musk?
Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?
Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder?
Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the “ape” in apricot?
What have they got that I ain’t got?
All Four: Courage!”
At the end of the movie, the Wizard gives the Lion a medal because he displayed courage by helping his friend Dorothy, fighting against the Wicked Witch, and taking part in helping to rescue Dorothy from the Witch’s tower, even in the face of his fears.
Other notable movies about courage that I especially like are:
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Schindler’s List
- Life is Beautiful
- Up
- Erin Brockovich
Real life examples of courage
In conclusion, courage manifests in various forms. It consistently inspires and empowers us to face challenges head-on. Embracing courage in our daily lives can lead to personal growth and a more resilient community. Be brave!