Throwback Playback: Badge of Courage

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Courage…some days you are feeling it and some days you don’t. On those days when your confidence level is down and courage seems elusive, that’s when you cannot fear, nor be dismayed, nor give up.

One of my favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz, which debuted in theaters across the U.S. on August 25, 1939. If you are a fan of this cast of characters, Dorothy, Toto, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, the Great Wizard of Oz, Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wicked Witch of the West, then you are swept away by the storyline about matters of the heart.

Just as the Cowardly Lion tried to put on a front and act ferocious, he was, for whatever reasons, lacked confidence. I loved the advice Dorothy gave the lion that encouraged his confidence and helped him regain his courage: “The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.” Sometimes, challenges can beat the courage out of you, but even in those moments of discouragement, we rise when we face these challenges head-on, and take back our confidence with a boldness that surpasses our understanding.

Originally posted on From Behind the Pen on August 24, 2017.

Badge of Courage

The Weight We Carry

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Who has not felt at some point and time that we are carrying the weight of the world on our backs and shoulders, like Atlas (the ancient Greek Titan Atlas holding the heavens on his shoulders)? To release the weight of our worries, we have to learn and train ourselves to let it go. Easier said than done? Of course, it is. When you release your burdens, how do you do it? Who do you turn to? What do you turn to? Do you feel guilty about releasing that weight at all?

We have been conditioned to accept this plight of carrying more weight than we think we are capable of carrying and find that at some point we have to let others carry their own. When we are weighed down, not necessarily by the things we can’t change, but by the things we can, we have to learn to toss out the extra baggage that hinders our altitude and aptitude, so we can gain traction and energy to move beyond constructed barriers and elevate our awareness. Keep your eyes fixed on the solution rather than the problems, even though the problems seem gargantuan.

You may not have to start all over, just commence from where you are. It’s a learning process. If it doesn’t fit don’t force yourself to hunker down in a place where you can’t breathe and be buried alive.

Need A Little Serenity, Courage, and Wisdom to Ward Off Impending Craziness?

Image Credit: Sara Haj-Hassan

There comes a time when you know you need a lot of prayer, a little serenity, courage, and wisdom to avoid the urge to strangle people throughout your day!

God, grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change,

COURAGE to change the things I can

and the WISDOM to know the difference.

AMEN to that! Now you owe it to yourself to have a GREAT day!

Fear vs. Courage: Reaction or Decision?

Image Credit: Cristi Ursea

What will you choose to do today? React to fear? Decide to be courageous? Sometimes being overwhelmed can play a huge role as a vital motivator in our reaction to either jumpstart our fear or fuel our courage. We can be compelled to demonstrate courage, even when we feel afraid. Sometimes, however, being courageous can be easier said than done albeit highly possible.

Human nature calls us to be strong and not to show our weaknesses that are deemed big character flaws in society. However, it is in those moments of weakness that we garner the strength to be courageous. Even amid our grief, suffering, and challenges, we can feel deflated and discouragement can settle in like a bear hibernating during the winter.

Yet, we have the opportunity to respond to and accept our decision on how we shall react, whichever we choose, that will determine how our attitude will empower our walk today. Weakness is not always a negative, but it just depends on how we react to it, at the time we are going through it, that can either capsize our vessel of encouragement or work as a positive tool to encourage ourselves and others lovingly and positively.

Revisiting a Reminder: Don’t Count Me Out

Image Credit:  kai Stachowiak

The song Cher sang, “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,” from the movie “Burlesque” is one of my battle cry songs. To all of you who feel like you’ve been brought down to your knees, to the point of breaking (I am included), I employ you to stand up, straighten your back, and fight for the self-preservation of your mind, body, and spirit. When they count you out, no matter who “they” may be, count yourself in. You are a Warrior!

Winning the battle

Adamant

Rising to the occasion

Resolute

Introspection and examination

Overcoming obstacles

Running with determination

Originally published on From Behind the Pen (July 20, 2022)

Don’t Count Me Out

The Graduate 🎓

Image Credit: Keith Luke

What will the contents listed on your degree of life read like?

As graduation season comes to a close for high school and college students, a new phase of their lives begins. For the past three or four years, being disciplined by a daily schedule of activities and a class workload of various subjects that brought these graduates to this point, freedom comes as a new set of disciplines begins. Once the shock of classroom confinement wears off, graduates will realize they are now moving to a larger classroom of life. The learning doesn’t stop. 

Oh, the excitement, the hugs, the pride, and the joy on the faces of these students and their families as they marched to the tune of that all-familiar song, “Pomp and Circumstance.” It took me back to those days I walked across a few stages to receive my diploma and degrees of educational achievement. That’s a proud moment. As I listened to the stories of some high school graduates who suffered great losses throughout their formative school years, it brought tears to my eyes. Some lost a parent(s), grandparents, close friends, siblings, or mentors. These young people spoke with more clarity and maturity than many adults I see and hear on television. Many shared that pain through their grief made them determined to focus on their academics to pay tribute to and lift up the memory of those loved ones they were grieving. There were others who suffered catastrophic accidents that left them debilitated but not defeated. They persevered through school and continue to keep that commitment as they graduate. That’s courage! What an asset, not a liability.

I am so inspired by these stories that show the spirit of empowerment, optimism, and hope. What does this say to adults? A lot! We must do better. We think about our graduation, when we received our diplomas and degrees, and remember what a proud moment in time that was for us and our families.

With that said, are we graduating to new levels of positive growth and development? Are we graduating to new levels of love, compassion, and empathy, uplifting humanity and not castrating people from social interaction? Are we welcoming the arms of diplomacy, equity, equality, and democracy? Knowledge is power, but it’s how you use that knowledge that could be a life-changing or death-altering decision.

Continue growing with positive attributes, to build up and not rip apart. Each day, we graduate to new possibilities, new opportunities, and new lessons. Even if we don’t agree on certain things, that’s okay. We may discover we are more alike than different. It’s how we handle those differences that will raise the bar to love unconditionally. What will the contents listed on your degree of life read?

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Hope is Still Alive and Well!

Image Credit: Linnaea Mallette

Hope is something I frequently write about, in some shape or form, yet the messaging remains the same. It seems like we are living in times of fear and uncertainty, and the noise appears to grow louder day by day. These distractions don’t want you to “not” be distracted. No honey, these distractions want your full undivided attention so they can wrap you in its arms of chaotic messiness, to brainwash your mind with confusion, and pierce your spirit with gloom and doom. Once you go off on the deep end or run around aimlessly like a chicken with its head cut off, you are caught in its trap like a rodent.

When you get an opportunity, I would like for you to visit the site, Writing from the Heart with Brian by my friend Brian Hannon. Brian honored me by spinning his last week’s messages off with a thought-provoking series of posts dedicated to choosing hope and optimism that he noted was inspired by my post, The Fragility of Life. I am indeed humbled by his kind gesture, and grateful that bloggers across this platform add their unique spin to what hope and optimism mean in a world that seems filled with dread and hopelessness. I applaud all of you for spreading your messages of peace, unity, and love. Brian, you did an amazing job all week with parables to reinforce our all-important message to lift the human spirit, not bury it. Thank you! 🙏🏼

Not Your Problem!

Too many good and innocent people are falling off the deep end due to someone or something trying to take them out because they do not measure up to someone else’s standards. Enough is enough! So what if people think you are not good enough according to their standards. Their standards were too low in the first place. It’s time for you to raise the bar for you. The ball is in your court, so slam dunk their judgmentalism and escort them to the nearest exit door. 

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Clink Your Glasses and Salute New Adventures! 🥂

Image Credit: Vlada Karpovich

Are you searching for a new and exciting exploration to whet your appetite? Where will your taste for adventure and thirst for something to quench your curiosities lead? Let’s take a look at the art of risk assessment. Typically in business, risk assessment is the process of determining the potential impacts resulting from the interruption of time-sensitive or critical business processes. Sometimes, we have to examine the risk of not taking a risk. We have to think about the opportunities we could miss out on when we don’t take a leap of faith. Do not conjure fear. Escape the ordinary! Dare to step outside your comfort zone.

Image Credit: Damaris Isenschmid

Image Credit: Ali Kazal

Cut Yourself Some Slack

Image Credit: Sid Leigh

Can’t seem to get enough done in a short span of time? Do you put more pressure on yourself than you have to? Let’s face it, sometimes, we get stuck in our overachieving mode and can’t find a way to turn it off. Then, and yes, there is always a ‘then,’ we get so stressed, depressed, and quite often obsessed when our goals go awry. I think it’s safe to say that it’s time to take a step, or two, or three back.

Quite often, we tend to back ourselves into the infamous “deadline” corner and can’t come out because we are so overwhelmed with what seems like an endless list of things to do, squeezed into a time frame that looks appealing but is quite deceptive.

I’ve spoken to many people who find themselves caught in the crossfire of setting aggressive goals, and the reality is more than they bargained for. At this point, they forcefully put their foot on the brakes, instead of gradually slowing down to avoid whiplash. We try to hurry up and rush the process, then learn that silly mistakes can quickly and easily sink our ship sailing towards progress. Impatience will certainly lead to disappointments, and at times, disaster.

Try to examine what led you to this place of overwhelm, which makes you feel defeated. It’s not always by someone else’s design, but even if it was, you can still change the narrative. Don’t be in a rush to impress others who probably don’t care about what you’re doing or your well-being. We stress out over stuff we really don’t need to. Personally, I learned I would have fumbled badly and made costly mistakes if I didn’t slow my roll. There’s only but so much time in a day. Your body has to adapt to rest, relaxation, and repair, or you are no good for nothing. Beware of those non-negotiable-looking deadlines because they could turn deadly if you don’t take your foot off the “gotta get it done right now” accelerator. Find the courage to cut yourself some slack and lighten up. If you don’t, you are liable to self-destruct at any unexpected moment. Then what?