Discovering our Courage
by Judi A. Lynch
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it” ~ Nelson Mandela
Finding courage in the grip of fear! Why is it that some people turn and run away and some people charge head on even though they are truly fearful? It is said that admitting our deepest fear is a sure way to test the depths of our courage. That is if we face what we are most afraid of, we will find that we are just like the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. It was always there, we just never fully tested it.
It takes courage to admit you were wrong, to stand up when you have been unfairly accused or to help someone without fully knowing the outcome of the situation. It also takes a lot of courage to believe in what you know is the truth, even though you can’t always see proof at the time. You have to be brave to let go of the ego and see from all the way down to all the way up. Fear can knock you down sometimes, but courage is at your control. You have to reach inward to feel it; you have to open the channel to use it. And when you do, you turn up the frequency level for your future.
So many people who have been dissolving relationships and friendships lately are feeling real fear for the first time in their lives. They have anxiety over feeling disconnected even when new friendships are forming and old ones are being renewed. It’s a wonderful and amazing thing to have someone to share your life with who understands and supports you. It’s also amazing to discover who you are on your own. Either way, it takes a lot of courage to try anything unfamiliar and way out of your comfort zone. For many people, the fear of being alone is as scary as their unfounded fear of death. For others, the fear of sharing themselves with another person is horrifying.
Lately, I have given readings to several people in either mourning or shock over the end of romantic relationships and friendships. The shock reminds me of a time I was canoeing and my canoe partner and I hit a downed tree and overturned. The water was freezing cold and it took my breath away for several seconds. That’s what it feels like when you break away from someone suddenly after years of being close. It’s a real shock to your system and takes a while to be able to breathe again. Just like getting back in the boat and going down the river, it takes courage. It could very well be a karmic lesson on co-dependency or taking a soul union for granted. In time, I see the healing and the understanding when people realize they really are going to make it and everything is going to get better.
