Dear Beloveds,
One aspect of courage that has always fascinated me is that if you’re not scared; it’s not brave. If doing something doesn’t give you any anxiety, or fill you with uncertainty, or just plain scares you, then it doesn’t require courage. You don’t need to be brave to do something that’s not a big deal – for you. Perhaps this is why courage was one of the character virtues of classical philosophy. It’s difficult to get through the day without needing to be a little brave at some point over something or other. Usually this isn’t a big deal, and that’s a good thing, because the only way to get braver is to practice acting bravely. The only way to be more courageous is to act courageously. Like all virtues, the more you practice courage, the easier it is to be courageous the next time. Therefore, think about challenging yourself to practice being more courageous this month.
A way you might think about this is to reflect on your comfort zone and how to step out of it. Go outside your usual lines. Try something new. Do something you’ve been putting off for fear of a certain outcome. Perhaps an example of practicing courage from my own life will help you think of some things you can do this month to practice your ability to act courageously.
Believe it or not, I was once terrified of public speaking. When I had to talk to the class in school growing up, I could barely get the words out. I couldn’t sleep the night before I had to give my first presentation in speech class in college. The first time I gave a truly public talk was as a student representative for Amnesty International. I gave a presentation on human rights activism to a full auditorium at Smith College. My voice cracked. I sputtered. I lost my place. If it had been a road race, I would have crawled across the finish line on my hands and knees. But I did it! Not long after I did it again, this time at Wellesley College. I sputtered less. I didn’t lose my place. I walked across the finish line. Since then, I’ve stood at the front of classrooms teaching, I’ve given campaign speeches, spoken to large crowds at protests and rallies, I’ve participated in live storytelling, I’ve debated other candidates on live television, testified before legislative committees, and I’ve become a preacher who give speeches for living! If I hadn’t forced myself to give that talk to Smith College students, you probably wouldn’t be reading this.
Practicing courage doesn’t require you to confront a major phobia or retraumatize yourself. There are dozens of opportunities each week to overcome fear and anxiety, take a chance, try something new, or get out of your comfort zone. Start small. Maybe by the end of the month, with practice, you’ll be ready to up the ante. You never know until you try.
Shine on,
Rev. Tony
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