I’m a Celebrity started this weekend and as much as I enjoyed watching it and laughing at their fear and discomfort it got me thinking. These celebrities have got to be pretty courageous to want to do something like that! Where do they get the courage to jump out of a plane and eat cockroaches? I surely wouldn’t be brave enough to do it. But is this real or courage or is it just performing for an audience?
Somehow courage has become equated with action heroes who leap from buildings and footballers that get back up when they have been knocked down. But really, isn’t that their job to do those things? While this clouds the true reality of courage, all those ordinary acts of courage that people perform daily tend to be overlooked
Everything takes courage. Management, leadership, making decisions it all takes courage. But what is real courage?
Well the dictionary says this:
‘Courage – The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.’
Courage is the mother with cancer who works to ensure a normal home life for her young children. Courage is a firefighter risking his life to save someone else. Courage is the father that leaves his wife and children to go and fight for his country.
These aren’t easy choices, this is the strength to battle fear, spit in the face of danger and do the right thing regardless of the personal consequences.
Courage comes from within, when you choose to live with compassion, integrity, self worth, love, joy and a deep sense of truth.
So next time you think that something or someone is courageous. Just think is it real courage?
