Don’t lose your heart, just keep going, keep at it. – Mark Ruffalo
Acts of Courage
The most significant act of courage that many people have shown is to keep going forward. In retrospect, this quote from Dr. John C. Maxwell, “One of the major keys to success is to keep moving forward on the journey, making the best of the detours and interruptions, turning adversity into advantage,” provides me with necessary fodder as I navigate the twists and turns of life. In its distilled form, courage is doing what you are afraid to do. Fear does not depart entirely, but the choice to act is not swallowed by fear. In other words, you do it scared. It could be restarting your life after a divorce, living after losing a loved one, starting a new career, returning to the job market after closing down your business, or returning to school at an age most would consider too late. As Mary Anne Radmacher put it, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, (whispering), “I will try again tomorrow.” That whisper into the darkness of life’s circumstances is the courage to keep going.
This Month
Here is a snapshot of the topics we will cover this month to help us keep going.
1. Know Your Standards ( April 10th)
Standards become habits, and habits become outcomes. Without standards, we are tossed to and fro, influenced by the winds that come with life – winds that can knock us down and keep us there. When you have a standard, a reference point, or a central purpose, you can discover a resiliency and courage you never thought you had to continue moving forward.
2. Lean on Relationships (April 17th)
Success in life happens within the context of relationships. The most meaningful ones are transformational, while the least meaningful are transactional. Creating more transformational relationships is of more excellent value, especially when life gives you a gut punch. That’s when relationships you can lean on provide the ability to get back up and continue in life’s journey when everything screams, “Lay down and quit.” Never underestimate the power of positive transformational relationships.
The most meaningful ones are transformational, while the least meaningful are transactional.
3. Power Up Your Confidence (April 24)
You cannot continue what you never started, and your confidence and courage grow in areas where you take action. Fear will dominate your life until you choose to do what is hard. Confidence builds your courage and vice versa. Actress Tamara Taylor put it well: “As long as you keep going, you’ll keep getting better. And as you get better, you gain more confidence.”
Final Thought: Life will knock you down, but the courage to continue lives within you. Finding and applying it will provide the wherewithal to get up, dust yourself, and press on when life says to stay down. Don’t count yourself out or sell yourself short. Keep going!
Keep on keeping on
Discover Your Treasure 