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Courage counts when facing life's challenges
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Published: August 16, 2009
Patrick Henry's famous words — "Give me liberty or give me death!" — have resounded throughout history as some of the bravest words ever spoken.
Joan of Arc, a simple, peasant girl turned saint and heroine, died at the stake looking toward the sky with the ultimate level of courage for a cause.
Anne Frank had an innocent, accepting form of valor while living under the cruelest of conditions.
Nat Turner led a slave revolt in the early 1800s and sacrificed his own life as a result of his honor.
Pocahontas gallantly stood up to her father and saved Captain John Smith from his imminent death.
What is the common denominator in the unique make-up of these people? What are the inner workings of those who would be willing to jeopardize his or her position and be able to disregard what is considered the standard rule and risk life and status for a cause? Von Goethe is quoted as once having said that "Boldness has genius, power and magic."
Abraham Lincoln was the Republican nominee in the fall of 1860 for the presidency and Election Day was fast approaching. He had always been a man with a clean-shaven face until he received a letter from a bold 11-year-old girl named Grace Bedell. She told him that all the ladies like whiskers and he would get more votes if he grew a beard. She said that if he would just grow whiskers, he would look a great deal better for his face was so thin. How could she have the boldness to tell a presidential candidate how he should look? Naturally, being the gracious man Lincoln was, he replied to her by saying, "As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affectation if I were to begin it now?" However, when he left for the White House, he had grown a full beard to hide his thin face.
People tend to ignore words of overbearing blatant criticism, in lieu of listening to the ones who speak up with an honest well-meaning sweetness … that have genius, power and magic.
An old college friend was sitting in a packed movie theater watching a film with an incredibly complicated plot. However, the crying sounds of a baby throughout the movie made digesting the movie impossible.
My friend stood up in the middle of the dark theater (boldly, I may add) and said, "Would the lady with the baby please leave? It is obvious the baby is uncomfortable."
There was a soft ripple of applause throughout the theater. The baby had to have been the most relieved of all to be escaping. What gall. What guts. What nerve.
The tongue is the strongest muscle in our bodies. Her tongue was, perhaps, one of the stronger ones I know. She was not only representing the people who had paid to see the movie but looking out for the innocent baby's well-being. I suspect Joan of Arc would have done that as well.
Then there is Alexander the Great, who conquered all the known ancient worlds. We certainly consider him to be a brave, heroic man. Did you know that he cried when he reached the point of realizing he had no more worlds to conquer? A Great Cry Baby, perhaps?
When the end result for braveness includes self-aggrandizement and one's own glorification, it automatically cancels out the aspect of moral braveness, genius, power and magic.
So the next time you try to conquer a part of the known world, or, perhaps, just a "life situation," think to yourself, "How would Joan of Arc have handled this?" Then act accordingly with guts, strength, perseverance and courage … and without tears of self-pity.
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