Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day saying ‘I’ll try again tomorrow.’
Mary Anne Radmacher
Each day, we offer a Daily Question in our Practice Space to inspire grateful reflection. We appreciate and learn from the joyful, poignant, and vulnerable responses that appear.
We offer the following selection of responses to one of our recent Daily Questions. May these reflections serve as inspiration for deepening your own gratefulness practice.
What have I done recently that has required courage?
“Beginning to investigate and examine inward to discover who I am. This has been helping me to appreciate and be grateful for everyone and everything when I look outward.”
— Joseph McCann
“Moving through the Christmas Season is requiring courage from me this year.
My younger sister died very unexpectedly last February and I am missing her.
I will be inviting her sons for visits as I know how hard Christmas will be for them this year.
I would like to be closer to them.
My sister always loved Christmas. I will celebrate it for her this year.”
— Mary
“It depends on how I’m defining courage. I haven’t put myself in danger, defending someone in a long time. And I certainly haven’t put myself at risk defending my principles or country. I have been able to face my internal fears though. Turns out, that when I face these fears, they mostly melt away and I’m left wondering why I was so afraid for so long. Recently, I was able to speak in front of a group of people and remain calm and in control. Nothing big, just a heart felt thank you. It felt so good to be able to do this.”
— Charlie T
“Letting go requires great strength and courage.”
— EJP
“Acknowledge that it was time to say goodbye to my dear little kitty. She was 18 years old and very poorly. It was not right to just keep her going by giving her steroids. She passed away very peacefully in my arms after a euthanising injection. At the time my heart felt broken into pieces but it is recovering.”
— Butterfly
“It’s a stretch, but two days ago, after coming to terms with increasing pain levels due to Spondyloarthritis, I told my rowing club that after 15-20 years, I needed to stop bailing out boats of water and snow after large storms. It may seem like a minor thing to most people, but not to me.”
— Kevin
“Getting out of bed every day. Really. I have had health issues lately, probably over the last 8 months. …There are days when depression is like a cloud wanting to envelope me, but I fight on and that takes real courage. I remember I am not alone in this. There are others with the same problem. That sustains me. Knowing there is someone else out there who will help me is a bright spot in my days. I am grateful there is a doctor that may have an answer, and I will know soon.”
— Mary Pat
“Slow down. I didn’t really fully get just how much I have been swept along with the hurriedness of life. I have put the phone down and even don’t bother to take it with me when I leave the house for a walk and turn it off at night. I don’t answer calls from numbers I don’t know. I am conscious of the avalanche of information cascading over me and have decided to not play on the information owner’s terms anymore. I have unsubscribed from the myriad of emails bombarding my inbox every day. I care less about black Friday sales, cyber-Monday sales and any other sale urging me to buy stuff I don’t want or need. I have set aside a full day each week to catch my breath and reconnect. I have recently read a wise person say that the speed of Love is 3 mph. That is my new speed.”
— Don Jones
“One of the most courageous things I’ve done is cut set boundaries with some one who I really wanted to be in my life. I knew there was a good chance that this person would chose to no longer be in my life. I also knew that by setting that boundary I would be practicing self love and for once I would be choosing myself.”
— Julian Daal Childers
“I have successfully drawn a clear line. It was necessary and I certainly needed courage to do that. The great thing is ……. I have earned respect with it.”
— Christine
We offer our deepest thanks to all of you who shared your perspective on courage. If you would like to add a rich practice to your life, we invite you to visit our Practice Space to join the welcoming community connecting there every day.
What have you done recently that required courage?
Feature photo by Armand Khoury
My husband was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last year, my only child left for college and my mother passed away. We have received countless miracles in all these happenings. But it takes courage to look forward to future, some days. The shock of this kind of events can leave you a little timid. But by God’s Holy Grace, I am covered and blessed beyond what I can say.
I was told by a dear friend that it was courageous to take care of someone very ill and accept a risk for the one concerned in order to help him to possibly open up to inner realms. I would not have said so, as I felt it was my human duty and compassion led me to do so. But may be, my friend might have been right. Luckily, all worked out fine and the ill one and me both were happy in the end.
My youngest sister had I have always had a contentious relationship. She has been ill for over a year and unable to take care of her two year old Australian Cattle Dog. I had suggested four months ago that I could foster her pup until she was able to take care of her. Initially she said no and was adamant that she could handle it. Last week I traveled the 387 miles to visit her and some friends. I was very anxious about what I would find and would I be able to respond with love, no matter what.
She was much worse than when I last saw her. Again, I extended the offer to foster and, miracle of miracles, she accepted. This took tremendous courage on her part and a little on my part. The pup is doing well and I hope that my sister will get well.