Courage
“I
wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea
that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know
you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it
through no matter what. (Atticus Finch)”
Harper Lee
(To Kill a Mockingbird)
There's a lot of talk
these days about courage and cowardice. Each of us has our own
definition for these two concepts. I happen to like Harper Lee's.
Courage is not pulling out a gun and shooting someone. It is not
blowing up buildings and killing children. Courage is not driving an
explosive-laden van into a crowd of complete strangers and detonating
it. Courage is laying down your weapons, and talking face to face
with your enemies to see what can be worked out between you. Courage
is found in informing oneself about the facts of any given
scenario—looking at the science, for instance—not taking
decisions based on emotion or self-interest. Courage is found in
being able to respectfully listen to the ideas and opinions of others
even when they differ from your own. Courage is changing your mind
when you see that you are wrong. It takes tremendous courage to say:
“I was wrong. I'm sorry. Let's try it your way.” A brave person
stands in the face of fear, and does not back down, but only when
he/she has the facts to back him/her up. Courage means speaking up
for what is right, even though you will lose something important to
you in the process. In other words, it takes courage to be just.
The coward tramples and
bullies other people because they are insignificant to him/her. The
coward insists on having his/her own way and powers over others, even
when he/she could reach out a helping hand. The coward values revenge
over harmony, and chaos over peace. The coward demands what is
beneficial to him/herself and expects the rest of the world to get on
board. And, if the rest of the world differs, too bad. The coward
takes and does not give back.
We have opportunities
every single day to chose between these two poles. Over time, small
choices add up to something very big. If we are courageous in the
small choices we make, in the end, those choices will change the
world.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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