Is there anything for which you are willing to die?
Is there anything for which you are willing to live?
Many people would probably say their children. I'm sure there are plenty who would say their spouses (love that!).
But how many would say they have a cause that they would genuinely die for, or give their entire lives for?
Is there something you believe in so strongly that you would sacrifice all else (or nearly all else) for? Is there something that so stirs your heart, so moves your very soul, that you would willingly abdicate nearly all else for it?
I have done this. I sacrificed nearly everything and everyone for the work of changing the world by creating relevant and compelling spirituality in a religiously-fatigued country. And I'm glad I did. More than anything else, I'm glad that I had the courage to follow the calling of my heart, no matter where it led and no matter what anyone else said.
That's the definition of courage, in my book -- to follow your heart, when everyone around you says you're daft and when logic would say you're a damn fool. And I have come to realize, as I age, that there is nothing in life I treasure as much as I treasure courage. Beauty is near the top of the list; but I think courage is the mack-daddy of em all. Most notably, I prize those people who have the courage to be themselves -- their most authentic selves. It is the courage to be original. It is the guts to hear one's own voice inside and live it. There is nothing in life that takes greater courage than that. The price is so high. The cost of looking like a fool to loved ones is too much in a society that values appearances.
So, I'll end simply by asking you,
Do you have the courage, this week, to be who you really are?
Do you have the guts to live your most authentic truth?
And can you trust that you will be okay and life will be okay if you live that truth??
Live boldly!
