Dear Brave Heart,
These are interesting times, wouldn’t you say? Days can be challenging, uncertain and more than once in a week, we may find ourselves immobilized by an insurmountable problem—or so it seems. However, this isn’t our first rodeo. We are souls who know danger, yet step up. Courage is the force within us that keeps us moving forward ANYWAY.
Even though the saying, “leap of faith†is popular, Courage is what sustains us as we reach for our goals. As I’m writing this, I am thinking about two women I know who walk with courage: Leeanne Gardner and Susan Moody. They are the co-creators of StarshineAZ, (https://www.starshineaz.com).
They’ve stepped up to create a woman’s co-operative working space on the west side of Phoenix. By leasing office suites at the Glendale Airport, they  provide a place for other women to work, learn and support each other. They took a leap of faith that others would catch their vision, and courageously move forward each day to ensure their goal is reached.
Courage is found in many places:
- Those who tirelessly take care of dementia patients
- Activists who advocate for a cause
- A farmer and his wife adjust their lives because he is now confined to a wheel chair
- The abused woman who sets out on her own to make a better life for herself and her children
- The actress who continues to audition for movies
- The non-traditional student who returns to school after years in the work force
- The one who seeks a new job where she is valued
- The man who faces his life after the death of his wife
- Those who tell truth to power
I’m currently re-reading Man’s Search for Meaning, that famous and often quoted book by Victor Frankl. Whenever I feel like hiding in a corner, or taking a long nap to avoid some mundane challenge I face, Frankl brings me back to the reality that we humans are stronger than we think, and by facing our individual challenges, we are fulfilling our purpose in being here.
Courage drives ACTION. To activate our courage, we need to step outside our comfort zone. We move forward even thought we know we could fail. Step by step we proceed. We are fueled by Hope, and grounded by the triad of Self-Worth, Family Support and our Spiritual Anchor. We press forward, using the past as a guide.
Each day is new and each decision is personal. Frankl says this with eloquence: “‘Life’ does not mean something vague, but something very real and concrete, just as life’s tasks are also very real and concrete. They form man’s destiny, which is different and unique for each individual. No man and no destiny can be compared with any other man or any other destiny. No situation repeats itself, and each situation calls for a different response.â€
Trust your intuition. Get up. Move on. Step forward. Touch your shining star.
May Courage be your guide,
Jan