It takes courage

Courage isn’t a word we hear often anymore. Perhaps there is no need to. We are not fighting a world war but every day, we fight a war within ourselves. It takes a lot of courage to wake up everyday and face the world, to smile at stranger. Caution seems to be our latest buzzword, not courage.

But to live a life that is authentic, meaningful and full of purpose, one must be courageous. It takes courage to tell your child no when all the other parents are saying yes. It takes courage to pull your children away from the television and to forbid them from spending their life watching and playing video games when everyone else in the neighbourhood views such activity as normal.

It takes courage to really, really love someone, knowing his/ her faults and all. It takes courage to start your own business, go after a promotion, or ask for a raise. It even takes courage to start an exercise programme, knowing that the road ahead might be long and hard. To live a life that is full of love takes courage. To raise children who have values like self-discipline, self-control and optimism takes courage. To be different from your peers, to acknowledge your quirkiness, to embrace your eccentricity, takes courage. It takes courage to be optimistic, rather than give in to the cynical nature of our times. It takes courage to smile when it seems like your world is falling to pieces all around you. Every time you gather courage to do something that you really believe in, it makes a difference.