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We’ve
all read stories about people acting with
selfless courage to save another person’s
life: A firefighter who rescues a small
child from a burning building, an elderly
woman who single-handedly lifts an automobile
to free her grandchild, a person who jumps
in front of a moving car to push a stranger
out of danger. We’ve probably applauded
those heroic acts and questioned whether
or not we would be able to rise to the occasion
if called upon to do so. We may even have
questioned the heroes’ motives. Why
did they do it? Did they think about all
the publicity or the reward? Was it a hoax?
Courageous acts often elicit mixed emotions.
They’re out of the ordinary, unexpected,
scary, and therefore suspect.
But courage isn’t just about spectacular
events like rescuing people from life-threatening
situations. In fact, most of us will never
be called upon to respond with such super-human
action. Our personal experiences with courage
will probably be associated with the everyday
events in life. They won’t be that
glamorous and more likely than not, they
won’t get written up in the papers.
That’s not to say that they will go
unnoticed. People close to us will see our
acts of courage. Some will be impressed
and applaud our actions and others may be
threatened or mistrust what they see.
Recently I heard someone say, “It’s
hard to be brave every day.” I agree
because I think it’s hard to be true
to ourselves and what we believe in, every
day. It may require us to speak up when
we hear a lie or to keep a positive perspective
when surrounded by negativism. It may be
about being different and not going along
with the crowd or being willing to risk
receiving negative consequences if others
don’t like our actions. It’s certainly
about being courageously ourselves, even
when others don’t like it.
I am a professional speaker. (Why do I feel
like I should be attending regular meetings
with others who are all confessing to the
same disorder?) I want to be excellent at
my job, so I listen to great speakers and
try to learn from them. But sometimes I
wonder whether I’m learning how to
be a more effective me or whether I’m
just beginning to look and sound more like
them. It’s so much scarier to just
be me. I’m just a kid from Kentucky
and always will be. Yes, there’s a
ham inside the girl and you’ll probably
see it. But I want my message to be filled
with truth and humor, not just show. I’m
not exactly sure what “me” is
yet, but I know that if I listen really
carefully, “me” will come through.
I hope I’ll have the courage to accept
the challenge of being me as I unfold. I
know there will be a risk.
Being courageous isn’t an intellectual
exercise. It may not even be a conscious
decision. It’s almost as if it happens
at a cellular level. We act and then later
give reasons for why we did what we did.
It’s often after the fact that we feel
fear or experience an emotional reaction
to a situation that required courageous
action. It’s probably good that our
rational mind doesn’t determine all
our actions. If it did, we might never act
courageously (or have any fun, for that
matter).
Even though most of us will never be called
upon to save someone’s life, we are
constantly being given opportunities to
act courageously. I believe the greatest
opportunity you will ever be offered is
to be courageously you. And what you do
with that opportunity will make a significant
difference to the rest of your life.
Linda
Tarrant brings insight, inspiration and
humor to people and organizations in transition.
She speaks on courage, connectivity and
change. Linda can be reached at TOC Consulting
Inc., (416) 533-1532, e-mail linda@lindatarrant.com,
or via her web site at www.lindatarrant.com.
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