Courage

Courage
By Janee Kuta-Iliano



Courage: “The quality of mind that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, etc., without fear; bravery.”

Our economy is in crisis and our shared panic is creating a global emergency. These days, I find myself caught in conversations discussing our economic situation and all the financial hardships we are sure to face. People advise to watch out and beware of the tough times ahead. Many are visibly scared about what appears to be going on. We hear stories and are seeing friends being laid off from work and the news forecasts gloom and doom. The paranoia feels like white noise aggravating the air.

It is clear that the quality of our minds can help us to recover from these difficult times. However, if we continue to believe in what is predicted, the collective thought will surely overcome us and our future will be exactly as we fear.

We can either choose to believe that the worst is ahead. That our future is bleak and that we better hang on to what we have or we can choose to believe that what is happening is exactly what we need as a nation, as a society, as a planet, in order to learn a way in which we can live more harmoniously with one another. Do we have the courage to overcome our fears and help bring peace among one another during such unsettling times?

Do we want to believe that we have lost control over our lives or do we want to believe that we will be okay and prosper better than before? Thoughts are things. What we spend most of our time thinking and talking about becomes our reality.

Living in fear is the opposite of living in love. If we have fear then we cannot love which makes us lose our infinite power. We roll over dead to life’s circumstances instead of feeling driven to do something about it. Everything is in its perfect and direct opposite.

Our lives are all about choice. We have a choice in everything we do and in how we feel. The Bible says that it is sinful (to have missed the mark) to fear and we are asked to not allow evil thoughts to sink in to create a false sense of self. A good friend said that we are on, “God’s economy,” and to not involve ourselves with earthly desires and fears. Let us be accountable to the light and not sow in dead works.

So let us not join and participate in conversations that fuel this combined fear of the unknown. That undoubtedly will attract more of the same. Do we have the courage to remain hopeful and positive? Can all of us keep doing what we do best while living in thanks despite the challenges? “All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil by anxious thoughts but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast regardless of circumstances.” (Prov 15:15) Constant gratitude can strengthen our days to remain steadfast to our work and purpose.

Lessons indeed need to be learned and everything does happen for a reason but we really have a choice in how we deal with it. When difficulties arise, when times are hard financially, let us have the courage to believe that we are not our cars, our fancy clothes, our retirement funds or our oversized and overstuffed homes. Let us remember where we came from. Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet they are constantly provided for. Are we not worth much more than birds? Let us remember why we are here and who we really are at our core.

If we let go of what we think should be happening and ride this wave with the right mindset, having constant faith and trust, we will overcome what is happening to us. Let us have the courage to persevere though our toughest times. The choice is ours to make.