Lately I have noticed some courageous deeds done by some unlikely folks, kids, as a matter of fact. The TV news recently told us of a nine-year-old who drove his snowmobile alone to find help for his injured father. And then there was a seventeen-year-old who pulled two people out of a dangerous surf. Noble, of course, and unexpected as such deeds are. No one expects to be called on suddenly to save a life, and maybe risk one’s own to do so.
Courage...comes in many guises...
Courage, though, comes in many guises, and some of the most important…and often the toughest…are the instances that arise within ourselves. Would it be considered brave, does it take courage to do some of the things we must do for ourselves, the things others may not know about? I think so. Certainly it takes a lot of heart fluttering to speak up for what we believe in, knowing we’ll get some push back.
Addicted to being right...
Then there is dealing with those things to which we are addicted, and I’m not just talking about substance abuse. Yes, there is that, which eventually becomes an obvious problem. But I’m thinking of the behaviors we form over time to protect us from ever looking inward. How many of us are addicted to being right all the time? How many of us throw up unsocial behaviors so others will not see how unsure we are? How many of us disrupt everything we don’t like by reacting in anger? Or blaming others? Or refusing to listen? How many of us can respond with equanimity when impending death faces us or someone we love? Some of these situations we can only put off but not avoid.
Life is basically good...
I really do believe that life is basically good, but no one ever said that living it would be easy.
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