I have seen this happen many times and so have you. You someone get knocked down time after time but they keep getting back up, usually swinging. Then, one day they finally make it big. They win. Perhaps this has happened to you.
Before that happens people on the sidelines would ask, “so why does he keep getting back up only to get knocked down again?” The answer that most people give, the knee jerk response when there is no other apparent explanation, is courage.
Is it? Is it courage or something else? People assume it must be courage to keep you raising up after a beating. What if the person knocked down has no other choice but to get back up. Is that still courage?
The definition of courage is the quality of mind or spirit to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. Uh, what? I always heard that courage was taking action in spite of fear, not the complete absence of fear.
I am pretty sure that if life is beating the essence out of someone they are probably afraid, afraid to get back up, afraid they will be knocked down again, afraid they will suffer more loss. Again, what if the person knocked down had no choice but to get back up?
Or, what if it is not that either. What about passion, drive, perseverance, determination, dedication, persistence, and shear true grit bulldog tenacity? What if those are the reasons? Those are excellent reasons to get back up.
For those people, the ones who keep getting back up, staying down is not an option. They get back up because they will not consent to stay down. They get back up because they are not content to stay down. In fact, you would never be able to hold those people down.
Yet, many people insist that it is courage that motivates the people that keep getting beaten down and keep getting back up. I don’t believe courage is the reason and I will tell you why.
I believe there is a general belief that courage is either something you have or something you don’t. So, if you find that you don’t have courage, your are not at fault.
If you feel you are not courageous, you hope that it is something that will come to you when it is most needed. If not, then you just weren’t one of the lucky ones to have courage.
Many will never explore if they have courage or lack it until they are fully and sorely tested. They will wait for the absence of fear. Unfortunately for them, they will wait a lifetime.
But, the attributes of passion, drive, perseverance, determination, dedication, persistence, and shear true grit bulldog tenacity, those are all choices. As such, they can be made ahead of time, before life knocks you down.
Of course, life will knock you down. Life knocks everyone down, multiple times. The question is, will you stay down or rise up? Will you keep getting up until one day you just give up? Will you give in to fear and take up residence at the bottom?
You can answer these questions now, ahead of adversity. No matter what happens, no matter how bad it seems, making this choice – deciding fearlessly in favor of passion, drive, perseverance, determination, dedication, persistence, or shear true grit bulldog tenacity. Now that is courageous!
Courage can be learned. Courage can be taught. Planning ahead of crisis for how we will survive does help. Determined not to stay down, is a way of overcoming obstacles. Self talk is powerful. If I believe I can, then I will. No doubt about it! Believing is half the magical moment of becoming. We become whatever we wish. Those are our choices. We determine our pathways even when we clear the brush and create the paths ourselves. We step over, on, between, and through. We climb. We may fall and we get up again. We program ourselves to become the ever ready battery of life and recharge ourselves as needed – sort of like taking a drink when thirsty. We train to learn our wants, needs, and desires. We teach ourselves to go the distance – as a runner would pace himself to win a race – as a sailor learns to strengthen his course as he tips his boat over to the side to glide swiftly over the water which sustains us. It doesn’t have to take fancy talk. It could be just humming, singing a song, or making up the song as we sing – whatever floats our boat so to speak. Dum da da da dum dum dum dumb. ( Think Rocky.) Achieve dreams through associations. Associate success within our inner sanctum. Feel it. Imagine it ( See the image.) Become it. Think musical magic.
If you can sing a song and make up the words or tune, than you can fine tune your own skills in letting go. Flap your wings, jump, and enjoy your ride. It will bring you the confidence to catch the currents!! Enjoy life. Enjoy success. See my friend, it really is that simple!
Clark, I’ve read this several times and I am curious about the hidden message. Would you care to comment? I feel an undertone here – like an undertow. Do the waves sometimes feel too strong? Or have they in the past? Your personal experiences can be a catalyst for good authorship. Marie D.