July 24, 2014
“What is courage? In what ways does it manifest in your life?” Sometimes, in conversations, I find that asking these types of questions help to create a space for discovery. From my understanding, the word courage has its roots in “coeur” which comes from the Latin, “cor,” for heart 1 and is “the ability to do something that frightens one[self].”
In spite of the fear that you experience, in what ways do you choose to make decisions and take action?
Courage
I found these little dog/lions while walking down the street in Naha, Okinawa in the sultry 32 C weather of mid-June. Better known as “shisa”, these guardian dogs 2 protect you from negative influences that may wish to visit. They come in pairs and are usually found standing at the entrances to your home.
The photo represents one definition of courage for me. You see, as I experience life, there are some instances that I assess will result in future harm. [3] These are fears and the typical reaction for me is to run away. The shisa are guardians. They guard the entrances to my being, my body, which I first perceive through my eyes, through my senses, and then subsequently resonate within my “coeur”, my heart.
To be courageous is to act in spite of the fear. This fear may be so strong that it paralyzes; but courage comes forth when the heart is listened to and action is initiated. The knowing from the heart is so deep and resonant that even through the trembling, even through the fear, we move!
Courage Redefined
The invitation for you is to consider the possibility that in your life experiences, there were moments you acted in spite of fear, in spite of doubt and in spite of uncertainty! What shows up for you when you recall a specific time and moment?
I invite you to lay claim to your courageous actions. Claim the results of these courageous decisions as yours and yours alone! When you claim courage in your life, you empower yourself to act as your own guardian. The shisa do not tremble, they do not move; they guard, stoically.
How have you shown courage recently? How has that empowered you to better your life?
Coaching is about creating the “hoped-for” future in your life through the actions you take and the decisions you make. Some decisions are made despite the fears and obstacles that are perceived; taking action, making decisions is “courage”! Energize and empower yourself with the knowing that courage wells up from within you!
Within the realm of Ontological Coaching a coach will assist you to identify emotions, language and the physical body in taking action and identifying, perhaps, what courage looks like for you; I consider this to be a holistic and integrative approach to become aware of the observer that you are. As a coach, if courage is a theme that you wish to visit, I will encourage you to consider how the following words of emotion may support you in your life to redefine courage:
- Excitement
- Boldness
- Anger
- Bravado
- Sacrifice
I’d love to assist you deconstruct your existing paradigms of language and emotion and use movement to shift into a space that may be richer for manifesting the life you want. I offer my perspective, my experiences and my eyes of how I see the world. If you are interested in (re)discovering the courage you bring forth everyday, I’d love to hear from you!
References
- https://www.google.com/search?q=courage+definition
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shisa
- Newby, D. 2013. An Introduction to Ontological Learning. 23-24