Choose Courage

An ancient saying: “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”

It takes courage to travel through life. Life pathways can be mysterious, even frightening at times. But they can also be beautiful and inviting, drawing us into the path, revealing its mysteries.

Yes, it does take courage to enter a blind pathway. But I can be scared and courageous all at once. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It is not impossible. Yet courage is not always easy.

You may wonder how to be courageous even when you’re scared. It starts by not pretending to be more courageous than you really are. It happens when you take a deep breath and move forward in spite of your fear. It happens when your dreams become more important than your terror. It happens when you’re willing to take a risk.

I wish I could tell you that if you are courageous all your problems will go away.
But I can’t.
What I can tell you is that if you choose courage you get to be free.
If you choose courage you get to watch the sunset over a beautiful beach.
If you choose courage you get to smile at strangers. You get to help others.
You get to taste life again. (www.secondfirsts.com)

I am awaiting a kidney transplant. The thought of it is terrifying to me, and I wonder if I will have enough courage to take the risk of the surgery. At times, I think I should leave well enough alone and resign myself to a life of dialysis. At other times, I long to be free from that daily eight hour regimen. It’s hard to have long-term courage. It’s much easier be courageous for this day, just one day.

I hope I will choose courage. I hope I will be courageous enough to set myself free. I hope I will have enough courage to reach out for a better life. I hope I will travel the unknown, mysterious path. I hope I will have courage enough to dream. I hope I will be the quiet voice at the end of the day that says “I had enough courage for today. I will try again tomorrow.”