For any of us to flourish or live what Jesus called the abundant life,
We need to develop the areas of positive emotion or happiness,
Engagement or flow,
Relationships,
Meaning and purpose and achievement.
Those are universal.
They apply to all of us.
However,
For men to achieve flourishing,
We do well to hone the masculine virtues of strength,
Courage,
Honor and ambition.
To be sure,
Strength,
Courage,
Honor and ambition would add to any of our lives.
But there's an extra onus on men to hone those four virtues.
Those four virtues come with their moderating virtues.
Strength is moderated by self-awareness.
Courage is moderated by wisdom.
Honor is moderated by humility.
And ambition is moderated by compassion.
Now though,
Let's focus on courage.
Courage,
As a word,
Comes from the Latin word for heart.
So if you hear the expression,
Take heart,
That actually means have some courage.
Be brave.
In my family,
We have an expression,
Courage is when you are afraid to do something and do it anyway.
And to be sure,
Just doing something you're afraid of doesn't necessarily make you courageous.
It could make you foolish or stupid.
But doing something that is wise and requires courage is almost always worth doing.
But some of us have let our courage muscle atrophy.
Few of us are called upon day to day to actually flex our courage muscle.
It's difficult to hone a virtue when we aren't asked to show it very often.
Indeed,
Some of us are asked to show courage every single day,
Depending on our job or living situation.
But many of us can go day to day without ever really having to dig deep,
Reach into our own hearts,
And do something of which we are afraid.
But that needs to be done.
So let's take a few deep breaths,
In down to the belly,
And all the way out.
As those breaths go deeply into the body,
If you're wearing a belt,
You might notice the belt buckle moving a fair bit.
The belt buckle moves away from the spine with the inhale,
And then towards it with the exhale.
Those moments that demand courage are often evident in our breath.
The breath might quicken,
Become shallow when we are afraid.
The breath might become weak.
The breath might become uneven.
Demonstrating courage is easier when we can master the breath,
When we can control,
At least to the degree possible,
That which gives our lives its essence,
The breath.
Observe what happens in your body when I say the word courage.
Imagine the word courage,
Or the concept of courage,
As a light.
When that light turns on,
When I say the word courage,
Is it your natural tendency to move toward that light,
Or away from it?
Now imagine the word courage as a cliff.
When you realize there is a cliff,
When I say the word courage,
Do you walk toward it?
Do you walk away from it?
Now imagine that word courage coming from another's mouth,
But that other is in deep distress.
Is your natural tendency to move toward it,
Toward them?
Or away,
Perhaps finding help elsewhere?
Or what if hearing the word courage is like noticing an overturned canoe in a lake?
Do you get in the water and swim toward that canoe?
Or would you rather wait,
Again perhaps seeking help from someone else?
The question isn't whether your natural response is right or wrong.
It's more a matter of noticing your natural tendency.
And then pay attention to your own thoughts as you've noticed your natural tendency.
Are these thoughts positive or negative?
Are these thoughts activating or deactivating?
Considering your life as it is now,
Whatever your circumstances may be,
Imagine a scenario that is not too unlikely,
Wherein you are asked to demonstrate courage.
This is a scenario that hasn't already happened,
So it's something new,
A novel situation.
There are uncertainties.
There is risk,
Either perceived and or actual.
But a situation asks that you show courage.
Courage,
Again,
Doesn't mean being unafraid.
In fact,
It likely means being afraid.
But acting anyway,
Because it is the right and good thing to do.
Imagining yourself in this scenario,
Notice what circumstances have occupied your mind.
How bright is it in this scenario for you?
Is it bright like midday or dark like midnight?
Or somewhere in between?
Can you notice any colors that are predominant in this imagined scenario?
What's the ambient temperature?
Are you indoors or outdoors?
Who is there with you?
And what is the action that you are being called upon to do?
This scenario is asking you to be courageous.
What is the action you need to do?
Because this is a fear-inducing scenario,
There are thoughts telling you not to do it.
You've taken stock and decided that there is some risk of some sort.
And some thought is saying,
Don't do this.
Imagine you suppressing that thought,
Acknowledging it and showing it the door so that it might leave your consciousness.
Now focusing on that scenario that asks you to be courageous,
Imagine that you decide not to do it.
And notice what feelings arise as you've decided not to do it.
Now rewind that scenario again to the point of decision.
And then imagine that you have decided to do it.
What feelings arise when you realize that you have decided to do this action?
What physical sensations do you either notice now or imagine in the scenario where you have decided to act upon that courageous action?
You are demonstrating courage.
What do you notice?
How do you imagine others responding to your act of courage?
What does this mean for you?
What does their response mean for you?
Imagine God having noticed your courageous action.
How do you imagine God responding?
And what does God's response mean for you?
Courage is far greater than simply doing something that scares us.
That is one component of it.
But courage as a virtue requires honing.
We have to practice it.
My hope and prayer is that by practicing being courageous in our minds,
We are better able to act courageously when the time comes.
May your journey be filled with courage.
Until next time,
My name is Greg.
I wish you peace.
