What Really is Courage? It Cannot Be True. The Earth, the Moon and the Sun. She Rocks Her Violin.
- Quote of the Week: “Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” -Maya Angelou
Most of the time I equate courage to something physical. Action by first responders or the armed forces facing hostiles come to mind. Reality says that courage can mean many things other than physical bravery, including self-sacrifice for the greater good. Courage also refers to people who are afraid but act anyway, take financial risks, and those who speak out against injustice. Here are ways to define courage – some of them relevant, some not so much.
- Being afraid and choosing to act anyway. I have a few examples of my own, and I am assuming you do as well.
- Passion and following your heart. This can get us in trouble at the personal and professional level, but passion also can help us do extraordinary things.
- Taking a stand for what you believe is right. None of us have an issue with speaking our mind, but when we are angry can we move the emotion to a level of courage and positive action?
- Letting Go of the Status Quo. It takes courage to step away from the ordinary and the usual.
- Maintaining a level of dignity and respect in tough periods of your life. This is easier said than done as all of us look to make the best of uncomfortable circumstances.
Everyone defines courage differently. Throughout history, there have been individuals who have shown us tremendous courage, some whose legacies continue to inspire us. Here are a few I can think of: Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Thomas Jefferson, Mother Teresa, Ameila Earhart, Harriet Tubman, Winston Churchill, all people of the armed forces, first responders, test pilots, and astronauts. Who comes to mind when you think about courage? Our most powerful weapon is the determination to fulfill our dreams. Success is not final; failure is not fatal – it is the courage to continue that counts.
It Cannot Be True:
- Gold was selling over $2,300 an ounce last week. Manufacturing barometers show an uptick for the first time in many months. The March jobs report beat expectations. A possible Fed rate cut in June. When does the recession start for 2024?
- An earthquake in the New York/New Jersey area. A massive snowstorm from Wisconsin to Maine in April. Greenland’s massive ice sheet is shedding 20% more than previously estimated. Is this normal activity or is something different happening with the planet? Anyone? Bueller?
- The 60 Minutes segment on the ‘Havana Syndrome’ – with people around the world being affected by anomalous health incidents including non-lethal acoustic weapons. Disturbing to say the least.
- Cannabis clubs in Germany? Legalized possession by adults, who are allowed to purchase up to 25 grams per day, or 50 grams per month. Who would have thought that Germany would relax their cannabis laws?
- The West African nation of Senegal will have a new president who will attend the inauguration with both of his wives on his arms. What a concept.
- After sixty-seven years, one of the last remaining Las Vegas hotels of yesteryear closed last week. The Tropicana property will be cleared for the new construction of the baseball stadium to house the relocating Oakland Athletics.
- The 2024 Masters starts with the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday. How fast has a year gone by? Spain’s Jon Rahm definitely has great memories of the Masters.
- A total eclipse will pass over some of North America tomorrow. Unfortunately for many, the total eclipse will only be seen from parts of Mexico, fifteen U.S. states, and eastern Canada. The alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth happens around 2:00 PM in the central areas of the U.S. and will last about four minutes. Other areas of the U.S. will experience a partial eclipse, some as much as 60%. If you miss this solar eclipse, the next one to cross the U.S. coast-to-coast is right around the corner… in the year 2045. 🙂
- For this week’s version of Pure Talent, we go to a version of Kashmir, one of Led Zepplin’s greatest songs. This performance, on a massive stage at last year’s Lollapalooza Paris, is from Lindsey Stirling, who performs a variety of music styles from pop, rock, classical, and electronic dance. A Pure Talent.