The word of the day for 17 October is: Courage.
‘Courage’ is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery and strength in the face of pain or grief.
Mark Messier said that bravery is not the absence of fear but the ability to take action in the face of fear. Everyone has something that they are afraid of, whether it is physical or emotional. Some people are scared of things like clowns or spiders, while others are scared of things like failure and rejection. Sometimes the fear of failure stops people from doing something they really want to do, and the same goes for the fear of rejection or disappointment.
We need to learn not to let our fears get in the way of what we want and need to do. Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Sometimes courage means restraint; freedom of speech and propaganda have made people feel as if it’s acceptable to say anything they want without there being any consequences. Courage teaches us that sometimes it is better not to speak without thinking. A lot of people ‘hear’ just to respond and don’t actually listen to what is being said, which just has negative effects in the long run. We need to learn when it is appropriate to respond, and when we should just listen and learn.
Richard Branson said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
