We must generate courage equal to the size of the difficulties we face. – Dalai Lama
Where does your courage come from?
What does that mean?
To me, this speaks about rising to the challenge. If our difficulties become greater, we must bring our courage up to match it. When we don’t have courage that is equal to the difficulty that we are facing, we are far less likely to succeed. We have less certainty, and may even hedge our bet or (worst case) bet against ourselves.
The quote says we must generate courage. Courage comes from within, and is generated by your love for someone or some ideal. The courage to rush into a burning building is easy for a parent. Others use their love of their fellow man to help motivate them do so.
Why is courage important?
At thefreedictionary.com, courage is defined as: “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution.”
In other words, courage is what allows us to do what needs to be done, despite our fear and despite the danger. In the context of this quote, we should not let our fear or the dread of danger to prevent us from doing what needs to be done.
Courage is what we turn to when we feel weak, when we don’t want to go on, when we feel like quitting. Courage is what steadies our nerves, calms our thoughts and gives us the strength to do what must be done.
Where can I apply this in my life?
For some, facing injury or death is a daily part of their lives. Police, Fire, Military, Coast Guard and Border Patrol are just a few of the people who face this on a regular basis. The rest of us, we really don’t have much to worry about, right?
Let’s add in the seriously ill or injured, those going through massive upheaval in their personal, financial, work or home life (due to personal issues, foreclosures/bankruptcy, layoffs, or divorce – just to name a few). There are lots of people facing huge challenges. They need to find courage as well.
If we are fortunate, we aren’t facing those kinds of difficulties. But we still have rough spots. A traffic accident, a really bad day at work or school, a child that is having a rough time, a tight spot in the budget because the heater broke down and needs to be replaced. These also take a measure of courage to face.
So how do we gain the courage to face these difficulties? We generate it from within. We focus not on our difficulties, but on our love for someone or some ideal that allows to look beyond the personal inconvenience and do what is necessary for both ourselves and for them.
Grab some paper and write down who you love. Individuals as well as groups of people. Do you love just your kids, or do you love most kids? Do you love the people who risk their lives so you can live yours in safety and comfort? Then add to the list the ideals you love. Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness, Freedom; these are some of mine, what are yours?
When you feel your difficulties are becoming bigger than your courage, you can fall back on this list. Use it to find someone or something for which you have so much love that you can generate the courage to willingly face your difficulty.
Yeah, sounds easy, but how do you make it work? For me, this was easy. I do this each evening before going to bed. For those who do evening prayers, you might add a thankful thought for all the people and ideals in your life that you love. For me, the more specific I am, the better this seems to work.
If you don’t do an evening / bedtime prayer, perhaps you could just take a few moments before turning out the light to read through the list and reflect on the love you have for the people and ideals you listed. Let that warm thought follow you into your dreams, and I imagine you’ll wake up with a bit more courage in the morning. It works that way for me.
Life will be full of difficulties. Some will see the difficulties as barriers, others will see them as tests. The more courage you have, the easier it is to face the difficulties. The more love you have, the easier it is to generate courage. Keep love in your heart and your difficulties in front of you. Generate the courage, and face your difficulties. Live your life!
From: Twitter, @DalaiLama
confirmed at : it’s his own feed…
Photo by The U.S. Army
