A Word about Courage

I am a reader.  I have to be in order to find enough material to spark the ideas I seek in writing a weekly blog.  My recent favorite read is Julia Cameron’s book The Right to Write.  She covers the gamut on a dozen topics of interest, relative to writing, and often they can be stretched to other applications as well. 

For instance …

“You do not need the courage to write a whole novel. 

You need the courage to write on the novel today.” 

I don’t know if any of you want to write, however, I do know you have a dozen other issues that confront you on a daily basis that need to be confronted and dealt with in a timely manner.

We can’t read War and Peace in one setting, but we can read it in its entirety a few pages at a time. 

Relationships don’t get mended with one conversation, but you start the process with one moment of courage when you begin the reconciling.

My son-in-law is a building contractor and he builds beautiful homes.  I’ve never know Erich to finish a home in one day.  But he works every day on each project until the job is finished. 

Do you need the courage just for today to do something?  Is there a conversation that needs to happen, a wall in need of paint, or a document that needs to be written?

All you need is the courage to do something today that moves you closer to what concerns you, or excites you. 

There are no three-step-solutions that need to be presented here.  I don’t know of any workbook that we need to follow.  All it takes is a simple dose of courage, just for today. 

          A Dose of Courage

Step up, screw your courage to the sticking place, and write, talk, make a phone call, start the business, clean out the closet, get the paint can out, or whatever it is that is staring you in the face and begin the process. 

                            One dose of courage.

  Just one.

Those kinds of actions have given birth to page-turning novels, block-buster movies, impressive monuments, institutions that better mankind, and lives of immortal stature. 

Just have courage for one moment in time. 

Just one dose of courage, just for today.