Finishing this trinity is Courage. A part of me, and probably of most folks at one time or another, just recoils from the world, imagining a billion dangerous challenges, and making me want to pull the covers over my head and hide in bed.
It is so easy to imagine that every other person is a threat, every tree rushing by outside the windshield as a deadly collision, every effort as just another chance to fail. There are ways to shift perspective, see the love and humanity in others, the beauty of the trees, the joy of a problem solved and dive in, full of eager anticipation. But too often I find myself stuck, slumped and paralyzed by my catastrophic expectations.
Then, there is only one way forward: take a few breaths, straighten up and push ahead past my fear and ennui. That takes courage, and soon enough, inertia builds and I may find myself riding a wave of bliss down the same road that seemed to be headed no where but disaster. Fear, for all its adaptive usefulness, is usually an obsolete reaction wired up in a much more dangerous time.
Right now, more folks I know are raring to go, ready to charge out and slay the dragon’s army. I don’t think facing down danger to consummate ones anger or extract vengeance takes any courage at all. I’d say it actually takes some courage to stand up against those flaming urges in ourselves, just as it takes some courage to stand up against the excesses our tribe and risk banishment.
It’s time for us all to have the courage of our convictions, to stand for what we know to be right, rather than just taking up our pitchforks and joining the rabble. We should find the courage to not back down from fighting the good fight, whether against our enemies or allies.
Happy Holly Days
HOLLY DAYS 