Courage: The ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief; confront agony, pain, uncertainty, or intimidation without showing fear; the ability to control fear.
Valour: Bravery in battle.
"Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to walk through it." Variously attributed to Nelson Mandela, Mark Twain, or Franklin D. Roosevelt. I have no doubt that Ozzy Osbourne, Pete Rose, and Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain have also received credit.
We read a section from one of Bill W's letters this morning where he shared some of the affirmations he used when he was in pain or suffering from depression:
This, too, shall pass.
Thy will, not mine be done.
Show me how this experience can teach me to be of service.
Not exactly earth-shattering new material but all of them work in a pinch.
This is an Eleventh Step meditation meeting so I found the leader's choice for a topic of courage to be interesting. He framed his sharing with the second third of our Serenity Prayer: "God grant me . . . the courage to change the things I can . . . " I've always thought that the final couplet ". . . and the wisdom to know the difference" was the linchpin of the prayer. To paraphrase: Give me the courage to do something I need to do or the serenity to wait patiently if I'm not supposed to do anything and help me know which is which.
When I'm in pain - or struggling with a massive bout of anxiety - my inclination is to Do Something! to make it go away. Do anything! Get moving fast!! Meditation is one of the most important techniques for ma way for me to slow down and get in the moment. When I'm quiet then the small, still voice of my higher power, my conscience, my intuition, my whatever makes itself heard.
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