Every 4th of July, like everyone else, I look forward to spending time with friends and family, playing with fireworks, and ending the day with the amazing fireworks displays meant to remind us of the battle-torn sky at the birth of our nation. . But every year I also do a little reflection on what it was like for the settlers and patriots who actually went through this scary and tumultuous time. I am an admirer of great courage, perhaps because I wonder if it would have been in me to have lived up to the courage of our patriotic fathers and mothers.
To be fair to myself in questioning my own courage, there is little need these days for great feats of courage such as those demonstrated by our founding fathers and their countrymen. In general, due to their sacrifices, we live in relative security and predictability. So when I hear stories of tremendous courage, I am particularly moved. Every once in a while, you hear about these random stories of bravery, and when I do, I can’t help but wonder, “Would I or could I have done that?” I’d like to think so, but I honestly don’t know.
Invariably, my thoughts also turn to our military men and women and the courage and bravery they display every day while in the service. Some of these soldiers are just children, scared and confused, but they still put themselves in danger for a greater purpose. We also hear many heroic stories about our police officers, firefighters, or other emergency personnel. Every call they are summoned to is a high-stakes situation that can require incredible sacrifice. Seriously, can you imagine having to deal with that every time you go to work? It would be a bit like carrying a loaded gun in your pocket at all times.
The best definition of courage I found was from the Google Dictionary: a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain. I like this definition because the key word is spirit. Courage is not something we can touch or put in a bottle (no, liquor isn’t really courage in a bottle, it’s more like stupidity in a bottle). Clearly, courage is something that is available to everyone, but how strong our fears are and how focused we are with purpose and intent is the measure of our courage’s accessibility. A single purpose or intention can fill our minds and hearts so completely that there is no obstacle to that intention, despite the risk or danger.
236 years ago, a group of patriots, both men and women, were willing to sacrifice everything, including their lives, to face their greatest fears and overcome adversity to forge a nation with a foundation built on freedom. Today’s heroes continue to inspire and humble us, like the hero of Flight 93 on 9/11 and many other acts of bravery on that dark day. A high school teacher confronts a gunman who risks his life to save the lives of students, two teenagers rush to rescue accident victims by putting themselves in danger, amazing stories of heroism during the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina, the Japanese tsunami and brave parents and children facing the challenges of disabling disabilities and serious illness. How humble are these stories.
What debts of gratitude we owe to these heroes of yesterday and today. They remind us that despite what think It is important that the true value of life is in ourselves and in others. Heroes don’t run into burning buildings to save their 55″ flat screen TV, nor do they put out the fire in a $45,000 BMW before saving those inside the BMW. Brave people teach us that things for things worth fighting for are: love, freedom, compassion, joy, peace. The act of a hero reminds me of that corny saying from George Bailey’s daughter in it’s a wonderful life, that “every time a bell rings and an angel spreads its wings.” My similar made-up cheesy saying about courage goes something like; “Every time a hero acts, he hurts many with his action.” Men and women of great courage are a little corny and over the top, but that’s what makes the stories about them so special and healing. It may not actually be a universal law that every time a bell rings it causes an angel to raise its wings, but it most certainly is. is a universal law that all true heroic action creates a blessing for those saved or helped, and also for millions of others who may be inspired by their action. I guess that’s why we have heroes, huh? Our heroes ignite that spirit within each of us and bring out our own courageous and compassionate spirit.
Now, I don’t want you to think that just because you haven’t been given a dangerous or life-threatening situation to prove your bravery, you’re not a hero either. Heroes come in many forms and degrees of bravery. Anyone who faces and resolves a fear in this life is a hero, whether it’s the fear of another person threatening us, or the fear of flying, the fear of intimacy, and the list goes on and on. These fears, as we embrace them, are as real to some as a mortar shell in the middle of Afghanistan. Overcoming them means we have to turn around and face them, and this requires tremendous courage.
Parents have a special kind of courage, the value of deep unconditional love. Although I have never had to try it, thank God, in this I am sure – that if someone threatened or endangered my children I would not hesitate to do so which is needed, period. Some might say that this level of courage is instinctive, and perhaps on some level it is, but courage is much more than a fight for survival. The courage of parents and the courage of those who provide and comfort those who need it most comes from a deep common bond we have with each other. For me, the courage shown towards others is proof that we are all intrinsically linked.
True acts of courage come from what I call, the higher self, because these acts of courage and bravery are the ultimate altruistic action towards others or for the true growth of ourselves. You can sometimes see people do things that are dangerous or dangerous, but without the altruistic nature of the act, these acts are just reckless and careless. I think this is the key to really understanding the true courage of canned bravery. When we act from an egoless state with the intention of helping others or uplifting ourselves, then we have acted with true courage. But when our intentions are to support ourselves by using others through their suffering, then in addition to being less courageous, these acts can be harmful or painful.
I’m not sure what variables of life experiences or beliefs drive some people to enroll in dangerous and dangerous tasks and careers or drive some to spontaneously seek out to help and save the lives of others, but I do know that each of us has his or her own. own purpose. and our own searches for our personal holy grails. Throughout your life, you will have many opportunities to demonstrate courage in very special ways, from the kindest gestures toward those in great need to the most brazen bravado on any battlefield of honor. I guess you probably already have.
Be strong and brave! Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
– Josue 1: 9
When you reach the end of the rope, tie a knot and hold on.
-Thomas Jefferson
“You gain strength, courage and confidence in every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You can say to yourself: ‘I have lived through this horror. I can handle whatever comes next.’ You must do what you think you cannot do.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt