Finding Courage

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.  Winston Churchill

Tenacity is a great word.  It tells us to stick with it when we would very much like to give it up.  But giving up, or giving in, states a completely different objective — that we don’t have what it takes when the complete opposite tells us we do.

Every day we must face life with courage.  We get older, we face injuries or illness, we struggle with complex personalities that challenge who we are. These are but a few examples.  We can cower in the face of these challenges or we can rise.  These challenges teach us about ourselves  and how we hold life. They teach us that may be we don’t have it all handled, nor do our perceived foes.  Regardless, they tell us that life is not a slam-dunk; rather, they tell us to keep at it, no matter what, and hold our head high.  In other words, never give up!

Long ago, I learned the use of a giant CANCEL stamp when a negative image entered my brain.  When doubts rose, I used that cancel stamp mightily. I still do.  It isn’t a cure all, but it reminds me to keep at it no matter what.

Think of the Phoenix, rising from the ashes, much like the frog in this painting arising from the flames of the water lily.  Life is a continuum of possibility. For this frog, the opportunities are endless.  For you, just as much.