Choose Courage

“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” -Mark Twain

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the belief that there is something else more important than fear.

To move past fear we must be clear on our vision. When our vision is clear we move towards it. We take action to make our dreams real. We do the foot work. We make calls, we contact friends, we create a support system. We learn, we grow, we move forward.

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Forgiveness

“The pain was necessary to know the truth, but we don’t have to keep the pain alive to keep the truth alive.” – Mark Nepo

It is not the better part of our wisdom to create our identity by our past hurts and pains. The more we hold on to our burning anger and resentment at those who have harmed us, the more our wounds stay open. We rationalize that we seek justice, fairness, apology. We must reclaim our power. Stop waiting for something magical to come and heal us. We must heal ourselves.

When we forgive we do not excuse the past hurtful behavior, with forgiveness comes our own healing. We exchange resentment for inner freedom. When we let go and forgive, we can heal and live.

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Kindness

Simple kindness to all life and to one’s self is the most powerful transformational force I have been privileged to witness. My wife, Sandra, is my daily example of unconditional kindness. Her kindness has no downside. It supports everyone and everything. Her kindness lessens grief, loss, and stress. Sandra’s kindness is endless joy, happiness, and contentment. It increases true power without the toll of force. There are no exceptions to Sandra’s kindness. Her kindness is pure, service oriented. She has no thought for her own reward. It is because of her altruism that she is spiritually rewarded.

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Story

Stories are our wealth. They are the wealth of our heart and soul. They are filled with our truth, our experience, our beliefs, our values, and our history. When we tell our story, our authenticity grows and deepens. There is a great healing when we share our story. Both the tellers and listeners are healed as we realize we are not alone. As we tell our story we give others permission to tell their story.

Most of what I do as a public speaker is tell my story. I tell my family’s story. I share my vulnerability, authenticity, and my truth. Although I have a plan when I begin, each speech is a different story. The story reveals my heart. Each telling of my story saves me. With each breath the story is the same and different. I find that as I share my story, it gives others the invitation to do the same.

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