Thoughts about Bravery perhaps initially bring to mind the battlefield. The act of overcoming fear, even fear of death. But is this the bravest?

Others considered bring to mind: Jumping out of a plane, going fast on a race track, walking into a dark space, pushing through barriers of phobia and more.

Whatever comes to mind, bravery against or through these things, seem to be at the extreme of what being brave is. Yet, something perhaps fallen short seems always the case.

For the forms of bravery that rush to mind are all externally triggered.

Everything from outside of the body and spirit. Decisions to respond to extreme external circumstance.

A deep and perhaps ‘‘above all” form of bravery, overlooked by so many. For this type of bravery takes deep courage and honesty to make one sweat turn to blood. A type of bravery in the overcoming, where every heart beat seems to be the last.

What is this battle, where might this challenge be found, for the most brave of all?

Within You.

• Tis the bravery to Love, truly Love unconditionally everything in your Life, even those that may have caused hurt or harm. For even in those might be the biggest lessons of all.
• Tis the bravery to listen for your lesson in a conversation rather than to be heard, even if ‘‘I am right”.
• Tis the bravery to take note of why you react to circumstance in the way you do and make change if necessary.
• Tis the bravery to observe your life without being trapped in the emotion of it.
• Tis the bravery to reach out helping hand, even if scorn is sure to follow.
• Tis the bravery just to be honest with yourself, sometimes brutally so, so that the gift of reflection comes sharp.
• Tis the bravery to smile in spite of all the noise that attacks and kills.
• Tis the bravery to be open and vulnerable.
• Tis the bravery to let go.

Narrow is this path, this path for the brave, not for the faint of heart.

Footnote: We have discussed this concept in an article called “The Standing Man” before.

28.09.2016