Bravery

It was legendary Greek author Aesop that wrote during the famous Aesop Fables,

“It is easy to be brave from a safe distance”  

How many times have you been given advice by people who have no experience or expertise on a subject they talk about?

We have all seen and heard the fan in the stands who shouts to the sportsperson on what they ought to do to win the play and yet they have never been on the playing field.

Being Brave isn’t about being loud or aggressive from the stands, it is showing resolve and strength on the court, field, or track and in more importantly in life.

What is Bravery

Poet Edgar A Guest puts it like this,

Bravery is not a brilliant dash, a daring deed in a moment’s flash, It isn’t an instantaneous thing born of despair and a sudden spring, it isn’t a creature or flickered hope or the final target at a slipping rope,  but it’s something deep in the soul of man that is working always to serve some plan,  courage isn’t the last resort.

Bravery means you continue to live life, to block out the circumstance of your current situation, even when you have no will to do so.

Being Brave doesn’t guarantee that everything turns out okay. It is about having backbone, the mindset, and the courage to act with decisiveness even when you are scared half to death.

DS Jordan said,

‘Act brave. The world steps aside for the man who acts like he knows where he is going.’

It is in us All

There is something inside human beings that causes them to be brave in spite of the danger or adversity, in spite of hostility and aggression, and in spite of the odds.

I have seen many a man who has portrayed a strong and brave exterior turn to jelly when the violence and gunfire start. Conversely, I have seen many a gentle and mild man turn into a warrior when the chips are down.

I remember one of my great friends telling me of a conversation he had with a friend of his. He said true bravery is like a kite. A strong and blustery wind raises it higher and higher. You see, bravery is about falling but getting back up. Bravery is not giving in to the urges of quitting.

Bravery is about controlling your emotions in times of trauma and adversity.

It is that quality in a champion that gets them up one more time when everyone thinks they are out for the count. It is about getting up and not giving in.

Bravery is that strength of mind and body that makes us forget how afraid we really are, but we go on anyway.

To the brave and the true, nothing is too difficult. Those that succeed are not necessarily the naturally gifted and you would be surprised how often bravery and sheer nerve succeeds.

Seek Wise Counsel

I have learned through some tough times never to consult anyone who is a coward or anyone who has not faced adversity in life or business.

The words of the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr really hits the spirit of bravery:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.

Think of and take strength like the kite that soars higher in a strong and blustery contrary wind.

In your life right now there may be contrary winds blowing. The winds may be blowing against your health, your relationships, your finances, or your business.

Now is not the time to run, now is the time to stand firm and be brave.

Allow the challenging winds to lift you higher and strengthen your resilience to the challenges of life.

To your success

David