"To get the little things done is an act of courage.  Courage to know and not be afraid - that the little things will lead to the big things - and you accomplish them too."

Marilyn Kay Snyder

Courage

Courage to Change

Jump in front of the bus to save your child's life!

Chase down a mugger to save your Mother's purse!

Go Parachuting or swim with the sharks!

We think we're hot stuff, don't we?

How about this one......................  Change your life and follow your dreams?

            What are we afraid of?  Part of it but we are so afraid of our "can we do it?" doubts, that we stuff it down even further.  Give yourself a chance.  Ask yourself the tough questions.  Are you happy with what you are doing with your life? If you had the chance to change anything, would you? Do you have a real passion for what you are doing, or are you just doing it? Do you avoid thinking about things as much as possible because you don't want to face your own actions or inactions? Be courageous.  Ask.  You will be surprised at how much you will be relieved that you asked.  You will find out that it isn't as scary after all.  Be courageous.  Take charge of your life.

Courage to start

            You plan.  You plan some more.  You plan and plan some more.  You want is that we take too much time to think.  You think yourselves right out of any action.  There is this excuse and that reason that you should not go ahead with trying to achieve your dream.  When you do that, you are focusing on the wrong thing.  You are not focusing on the outcome.  You are not focusing on your vision, on your desire.  People that concentrate on looking at the problems can't get past them because that is all they see.  They don't see the mountain top, they see the long climb.  They don't see the finish line; they see all the miles they need to run to get there. 

            Look at the goal.  Focus on the desire and take courage with you.  This way you won't worry about the obstacles you encounter.  With courage, you will work through them and accomplish your dream.

Courage to question

            Ask yourself what you want to do in life.  Then.......take the time to listen to your answer.  Often times we know deep down what we want to do with our life,

you have to give - to today.

            The best way to free your mind from worry about tomorrow is to take action about today's problems.  Notes due at the bank? Call them up right now and talk to them about renewing the not or paying partial down and renewing the rest.  Income flow a little low right now? Make the necessary adjustments in your living standards until your income level has changed.  Get your financial house in order today.  Taking action will get rid of the worry today.

            Worrying about your job? If you are unhappy with it, lay out plans to change it.  Need to go back to school to get the job you want, but you don't know if it will work? Sit down right now with a pen and paper and figure out how to make it work.  Call someone at the school.  Call a friend that is helpful and objective.  Find someone that you know that can help you outline a plan.  Do it to make sure you don't mess anything up.  You want to make sure you do everything perfect.  You want to make sure of.............of what? Nothing is sure.  Nothing is perfect except God above.  Something will always go wrong.  So now that you know that, get it out of your mind and get going.  What is the worse that can happen? If something goes wrong, fix it.  If something isn't a sure thing, have a back up contingency.  The person who starts, makes mistakes, and keeps going, is the one who will eventually cross the finish line.  The one who continually plans and reviews and researches will look up one day and see that the boat has left the dock without them. 

Courage to not worry

Live each day making the most of the day's opportunities.  If you worry about tomorrow you are taking time away from living today, solving today's problems, and seizing today's opportunities.  This is not being careless or indifferent about tomorrow.  This is about giving all that

 step.  Do the small act.  You are moving.  Without the courage to actually take the action every day, toward your goals, you will never see them.  You know the story about the tortoise and the hare? It isn't so much as who made it first; it is the fact that they were both moving.  We never hear the story of the tortoise and the rock, do we? The rock doesn't move, so what's the point of the story.  The rock isn't ever going to see the finish line.  If you act and you fail, so what.  You have learned something, you know it didn't kill you and it made you stronger.  The courage to act is the one that is going to get you to the top of the mountain.

          O'Henry tells the story of the New York artist who planned a great masterpiece.  His picture was to be colossal.  Those who heard him tell his plans were thrilled by the conception.  It would send his name echoing forever before you go to sleep tonight.  Action always is stronger than worry.

Courage to change the lives of others

            Courageous people pull others along with them.  If you act with courage you have no idea the people who will look at your example and it will give them hope and courage also.  You will never know all of the people whose lives you will have touched.  The checker at your grocery store, who finds out what you are doing with your life, will say to himself, "If they can do that, I can do what I need to do also."  Your hairdresser will tell her friend, and they will have a good conversation about your courage, and it will help the friend be courageous in something she needs to do.  A family member who has always wanted to try something will say, "If my sister or brother can do that, well, I guess I can give my idea a try!" Your courage for you will be as power for them.

Courage to Action - every day

            Take the little step.  It is at least a down the ageless corridors of time.  It would make of him a companion of the immortal Da Vinci, the magnificent Rembrandt. 

            But he couldn't start the picture today.  Things weren't right.  A touch of rheumatism.  A gloomy day.  Bad light.  So it went, until one day his friends found him dead in bed.  They took up his lifeless body and buried his masterpiece with him.

          Will your masterpiece be buried with you? Do you not know that "someday" will never come? Do you not realize that as you lay your head on your pillow tonight, you have closed the door on another day, never for it to be opened again? There is no second chance on your time.  Be courageous.  Step out into the world right now and give your light to others to show them the way.