What is Courage Exactly?

Courage may simply be devoting ourselves to a helpful (not hurtful) cause and inviting God to join us along the way. The strength of character, the wisdom, the way to proceed are all illuminated along the path of never giving up, i.e., devoting ourselves to the cause.

Think of whatever you have accomplished in your life that was/is a single-minded pursuit: rearing children, getting out of debt, converting vision into reality, establishing something new, improving an existing venue, making widgets. Did you know at the beginning what you know now? Can you point to courage gained along the way by simply never giving up?

Whatever the cause/endeavor,it seems courage is what happens when we apply the devotion of our heart. God, when invited, can take care of the length and breadth of the mission.

So...want courage? Choose your helpful cause, apply your devotion one day at a time, invite God into the mix, and watch a beautiful thing happen.

Betcha Can't

Betcha can't write a full paragraph about what people admire about you. Why? Because the energy of our self-examination is too often stuck on "critical." Beyond the warmth and allegiance of our parents' words, how often do we really hear what others admire in us?

So...try it. Label a notecard or the note section of your smartphone with "What People Admire About Me" and let some thoughts bubble up to the surface of your mind. Give yourself permission to hear these words long enough to write them down, without the usual critical thoughts that always lurk in the shadows of our mind.

After it is safely written, put it in a special place and read it once a day until Christmas. Try it...for real. My guess is we are putting the best Christmas gift ever on layaway. Let's trust the power of cumulative (reading it once a day until Christmas) and add this beautiful voice to our head (what people admire about us) and see what happens by December 25.

Betcha can't...oh, how I hope you do.

We wish

We all have wish lists of one kind or another. Some of our lists are fun: ways we wish we could get away from our normal lives. Others are futile: my husband has a list of things he would do if he could somehow rule America as a benevolent dictator, his first being to eliminate that tamper-proof packaging--sometimes called the blister pack--that leads to "wrap rage."

One of the most important wish lists we have is the one on which we list the qualities we would change about ourselves. Depending on our drive toward perfectionism, these lists can include the impossible, the possible, and the probable. Our wish list about self-change may encourage or defeat us, move us forward or virtually paralyze us.

What changes would be on your wish list? I invite you to spend time pondering this list and see if a single, recurring, possible change keeps coming to your mind. Hold onto it for a few days, allowing it to stand the test of time as something that, if implemented, would encourage and delight you.

In the days ahead, we will come back to this hoped-for change. I have learned amazing tools for change that are doable, strengthening, and energizing. I'd love to have your company for sharing. Email me at feedyourstrength@gmail.com or post a comment. Most journeys toward change are more fun in community...let's travel this road together.