Tag Archive for: boldness

Are you tiptoeing through the tulips?

We need ๐›๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ!
Over the last few days, I have heard several stories about individuals that have been bold and the consequences of their actions.
Those stories have inspired me to be bolder.
Frequently Iโ€™ve thought; โ€œI need to be bolder!โ€
๐ƒ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฅ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐จ ๐›๐ž ๐›๐จ๐ฅ๐?
๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ โ€“ โ€œnot hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring.โ€
Other words for boldness: fearless, adventurous, brave, valiant, intrepid, valorous, dauntless!
For the Star Trek fans out there, we donโ€™t need to โ€œboldly go where no man has gone before,โ€ we simply need to “๐›๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ ๐จ!”
Hang on a minute however, I know a little about fear, and you probably do too.
Is it simply about laughing in the face of fear?
I believe that everybody has the ability to be bold, but many of us just have to dig deep to find it.

Tiptoes

Recently, whilst reading through a book on the life of M. Russell Ballard, I loved his words of encouragement, which were not to โ€œtiptoe through the tulipsโ€ but rather to be bold in our actions and conversations.
Are you tiptoeing through the tulips?
Far too often we hold back and play safe in life.
On the other hand, being bold, while both frightening and challenging at times, is essential to living a true and fulfilling life.
Boldness is about stepping up and stepping out onto our edge in lifeโ€”pushing the limits of what we think is possible or even appropriate.
I was reminded on Friday of one of my favourite little poems by the English poet, Christopher Logue.
Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It’s too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
and he pushed,
And they flew.
Iโ€™ve decided – It’s time to fly! (again)
What does being bold mean to you?

Courage

Courage is the great need of our time.

Courage requires consequence.

If there is no cost, no risk or consequence, then courage is easy – and empty. In fact, as consequence rises, so does the amount of courage needed to take a stand.

The wordย courageย is defined as โ€œmental or moral strength to โ€ฆย persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.โ€

I believe it is in our very nature to admire those who stand against the odds and withstand danger – many great leaders come readily to mind. One who is currently rising on the world stage received a standing applause in the House of Commons this week.

However, simply stated, courage is meaningless without consequence.

Consequence

โ€œCourage is the form of every virtue at the testing point. Pilate was merciful until it became risky.โ€ CS Lewis.

Courage to accept the inescapable truth that greatness can never be achieved without adversity, a struggle that is prerequisite for growth.

Edmund Burke shared this.. “Adversity is a severe instructor, set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves, as He loves us better, too. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This conflict with difficulty makes us acquainted with our object and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial.”

A measure of our success in life will be determined by our response to adversity and the courage that you have as you wrestle with the problems, that will strengthen your nerves and sharpen your skill, just as Burke said.

Indeed, courage is the power to let go of the familiar and face up to the unknown.

We are faced every day with situations that require courage and strength.

What courageous actions will you take today?