Advent impulses: Courage
With regard to the dynamics of today's world and multiple changes, courage seems to be a skill that is urgently needed. But where to start? Especially as the definition and understanding of courage vary from person to person and courage on a large scale can quickly become overwhelming. But what about the little things, the courage in everyday life, the courage to take responsibility, the courage to stand up for others and the community? It perhaps also takes a little courage to think about it, both in general and personally.
COURAGE
Courage is a term that is often associated with bravery and decisiveness. It refers to a person's ability to act or make a decision despite fear, uncertainty or danger. Courage represents the willingness and determination to take risks and face adverse circumstances or challenges in order to achieve a goal or defend a belief, even if the outcome is uncertain or potentially dangerous.
Courage manifests itself in various forms. Be it in a physical way, when you overcome physical dangers, or as moral courage, where you stand up for principles, values or justice, even if this is unpopular or risky. Courage should not be confused with riskiness or recklessness. Even those who act courageously should be aware of the risks and opportunities of the possible consequences. It is not for nothing that emergency services advise people to call 112 rather than run into a burning house themselves.
What is considered courageous in a specific case is assessed by each individual depending on the situation. For example, presenting in front of an unknown audience may require more courage than jumping from a 10-meter tower. Sometimes it also takes a good dose of courage to rely on your gut feeling or consciously abandon your own habits:
- Going on your next trip without a GPS or going on a date without a cell phone?
- Take the bus and train instead of the car?
- Talk or ask deeper questions instead of keeping quiet and just doing it?
Reflection questions
Reflecting on your own fear can be a key to your thoughts on courage.
- In which situations do you experience hesitation, inner resistance or reluctance?
- What things are so important to you that you still feel an inner need to act?
- What behavior would you wish for yourself in such situations?
- How far-reaching would the consequences be if you actually acted in exactly the same way?
- What helps you to calm your heartbeat?
Moments of courage
Our colleague Birgit describes herself as a person for whom safety is important. Yet she recently made a dream come true: a tandem parachute jump. It's exciting that for her, the real "moment of courage" wasn't the jump from 4000 m, but rather the moment she actually booked it. "I could have let the birthday voucher expire and stayed in my comfort zone. But I was courageous enough to fulfill my dream. To put aside my safety concerns and take the first step. After booking the actual date, everything was fine, I was just looking forward to September 17th. This tandem jump showed me that it's definitely worth taking a chance on things I've never done before."
You can watch her tandem jump in this video.
