Your Courage Is Someone Else’s Courage

I decided to record the reading of this post to offer a different creative perspective – one that captures my own voice with my writing. You may read this post as you listen to my words, watch the video, or read the post alone. The choice is yours!

 

Your courage is someone else’s courage.

 

I wrote this in my personal post on the 10 lessons I’ve learned in 2015, but originally these words came quickly, without deep thought.

 

As if my subconscious believed wholeheartedly in these words without my own awareness. This must be what always brings me here. Typing this, sharing myself. My courage can be someone else’s courage, and that means something much more to me.

 

As I ponder this meaning on a deeper level, I realize the incredible truth that it holds.

 

We are often resistant to share our struggles.

 

Unable to glamorize our insecurities, the adversity we have faced, the pain we have felt. Because it is not glamorous. It’s real and human.

 

It’s unfortunate, because our deepest lessons are often found here. In the trenches of discomfort lies an opportunity for growth. We have the ability to share these lessons – let others into this perspective. Guide them through the perceived dark path, and point out the pieces of light that can be found if one looks carefully.

 

With our own courage, we can give someone else courage. This is important. We not only give our courage by sharing our story, but our courage just to love and nurture ourselves through our own pain can affect those around us. We are watched, interpreted, perceived through the eyes of others- how we love and care, how we deal with and handle our suffering. We are an example to one another, whether we know it or not. If we have the courage to own our adversity, dig for the lessons, and live on with it – with acceptance or empowerment – we offer this lens to those around us.

 

Online, many of us often mold our visible lives with never less than lovely. We choose to put our best selves out into the world, our perfectly posed photos and great accomplishments. It makes sense, why would we not want to be perceived as anything less than that? It would make us vulnerable, to show the world who we are and what we’ve been through. To show the tragedy and heartache that has trudged through each of our lives.

 

This may not be true for you, but for me, I found myself hiding every dark piece of me underneath a metaphorical rug. The problems were left uncared for – or worse – numbed, and they would fester, growing into bigger and more difficult issues to handle. I continued to push everything under this rug until I could no longer bear it.

 

Someone else’s courage to share their struggle, their change of habits to reframe their thinking, gave me courage. It gave me the courage to change, and granted me the realization that my life didn’t have to be the way that it was merely from the lens of which I saw it.

 

I don’t mean completely abandoning reality, I mean that there are more sides- different versions- of your story, than the one you tell yourself everyday. Your story is not definite, it is ever-changing.

 

The story you tell yourself can either limit or empower you, hinder or grow you. What I believed about my circumstances, adversity, pain, love, joy – was very different two years ago. Someone else’s courage to share their story- their perspective- allowed me to learn that loving myself was a choice I had to make everyday. I was the one who would grant myself opportunities or hold me back. I would be the one to decide to be my own best advocate in this life. I am hoping my courage can be someone else’s courage.

 

I was resistant to share my own struggles. It felt uncommon, unfamiliar. Out of my comfort zone. To really put out there, “Hey I’m not perfect!” when I had spent all of my energy trying to be and criticizing myself for always failing to be.

 

We are all collectively sharing this gift of a human experience.

 

I want to dig deeper into it. Explore it, and offer my own experiences to others – in hopes that they can learn from it. I want to listen to diverse perspectives, different stories, hoping to gain the lessons that they have learned. I believe we all can empower and encourage one another, help each other cultivate a healthy mindset.

 

Our courage can be hope for that person who is losing theirs.

 

Those who cannot find the meaning anymore, still taunting themselves with the question, “Why is this happening to me?”

 

The pain we endure and survive, the heartache that turns our world upside down. It’s beautiful, because it allows us feel deeper the other side – the joy, happiness, and fulfillment. In fact, they thrive off of one another. They are undeniably connected.

 

It doesn’t take me knowing this. It takes me believing it. Each and everyday, in the hard waves of adversity. Sometimes, I lose sight of my own courage and I have to borrow someone else’s. We need to hold onto hope for not only ourselves, but for those in our lives. If you find yourself losing hope, you can always borrow mine.

 

We must always hold onto hope regardless. Circumstances may not change, but we have the ability to look at the world in a different way. I had lived carrying my circumstances as burdens. I now accept adversity as a lesson. Everyday, I have to make this choice.

 

I feel a strong force pulling me to change the conversation. To discuss the deeper darker moments that have gained me a healthier view on life. People are in those same states I had found myself. Dark, lonely, hopeless.

 

If you find yourself here, I will share my courage and hope with you. I want you to learn to see the light again even in the darkest pieces of yourself. It exists even when you do not see it, hold faith. Hold onto my faith.

 

Your courage is someone else’s courage.

 

Leave a comment below to let me know if you like the video aspect or contact me at kaytlyn@mindsetmovement.org, and I will plan to do more!

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