The abc's of a momentary monk: C is for courage

I hope to encourage you a bit through this short piece. Interesting that the word encourage is semantically two smaller words. To be encouraged means to be "in" the state of "courage." I hope you will be infused with courage and therefore be encouraged.

So often we think of courage as the warrior's virtue. It is a virtue fit for a movie like 300 or the World Cup. I wonder if this is always the case. I think courage is seen in greater quantities in the banality of daily life. Seneca said that "merely to live is an act of courage."  Don't you find this to be so true? 

Ordinary life evokes more extraordinary courage than combat because it is expected in competition or adventure but consider the inevitabilities of life-- grief, illness, pain, disappointments, struggle, loss, heartache--all those things that level the playing field and unite us a humans on the planet. I think it is the everyday that demands our courage and the balance of fortitude and humility. Aristotle teaches that courage resides somewhere between fortitude and humility.  

Most acts of heroism and sheroism go unnoticed in our fstr culture. Consider the teacher with a difficult class trying to get out of bed again to bring to life something that is not appreciated, the leader who receives nothing but criticism, the public speaker who is quaking in their boots, a hospital patient ready for the surgical procedure unsure of the ultimate result, the list is long but courage is ever present. 

Life always brings twists and turns whether you win the world cup or not. We all are in need of a mainline of courage just to make it through the week. The poet Rilke said, courage is for the most strange, the most singular and the most inexplicable that we encounter." That sounds like just a normal day to me. Euripides said that "courage is to bear unflinchingly what heaven has to send." Life again.

The next time you want to scream (todays image by Munch) and need to be encouraged, consider calling God for just the amount of grace to make it through the day. When the day is over go ahead and pray a simple prayer penned by Anne Lamott, "Thank you -God!" So be encouraged today to live life with, well--a spot of courage!