What is Courage?

Many (most?) of us spend a part (all?) of our lives doing things that we hope will impress other people. Whether it's a way to stand out and be noticed (or different) or to attract something we want (usually love in one form or another), we yearn for uniqueness. It builds our self-esteem. Keeps us motivated. And, let's be honest, keeps life (and us) from getting boring (and bored).  

What's interesting, however, is that sometimes we can be admired for things that come easily to us, but might be daunting for others to even imagine. Which makes me wonder about the quote to the left. Is it only "courageous" when we're scared? Or is courage in the eye of the perceiver? 

My example is (at least to me) an interesting one. There are a number of things I'd like to be admired for. My writing. My ideas. My tenacity and diligence. My creativity. My ability to reinvent myself. My trying new things and ability to see things through (which does feel courageous, especially compared to so many others who rarely get past the first step).

What I didn't expect is the response so many people have to my moving here. Without a job. Without knowing a soul. My donating all my possessions to charity (except for a few boxes I shipped and what could fit in my car). Not only my commitment to stay a year, but my apparent "burning the ships in the harbor" so there was no turning back. (Okay, the option of turning back was feasible technically, but not in any way emotionally). 

To me, it was part fluidity, part adventure and part necessity. I needed a change. And I NEEDED a change. So I was, in part, running away from something, and in part running toward a big question mark. 

So, what's the moral of this story? I'm not sure, exactly, except that you never know when you might be inspiring someone else. And that (a) you need to take risks and (b) tell others about it.