Do you have the courage to be yourself? The Kabbalists talk about courage as the ability to stand up in the face of our own fears and anxiety. They argue that the person indifferent to danger shows no courage, because courage involves overcoming feelings of trepidation. Courage is one of the greatest of all virtues, because it allows us to live all the other virtues in the face of condemnation from our peers.
It is easier to fit in, to walk away from our core of truth when those around us question our beliefs or actions. However if we are courageous we can release our rigid naiveté and accept that life is complex. We are always facing our own competing values. The literal truth is not always meant to be the victor. We need courage to use our judgment in the face life’s paradoxes.
We need courage to follow our inner compass to our real truth, and even more courage to walk that truth in the world. The Kabbalists talk about a strong heart as the kaleidoscope core of our inner being, one that allows us to defiantly move forward in the face of our own fears. We are told that in times of distress we should strengthen our heart, even if we stand at death’s door. The wounded lion still knows how to roar.
What does courage mean to you? Can you walk through your life proud of your scars and bruises and follow your own true north? Try this for a week and let me know what changes for you.