Be inspiring.
The absence of fear in the face of unknowing. I often think back on the the little girl that I used to be. I remember the things that she prayed for–like strength, talent, beauty, wisdom, grace. Sometimes it hits me, suddenly, the fact that she is me, that I am her, that I am the woman that I prayed to become.
I think back on every struggle that I’ve come through, the hardest times. The times when I thought, “This is it. I can’t go on from here.” But I always did. I always went on, and I always will.
In his writings, Borges said “There is no other virtue than being brave.” Paulo Coelho says that, “Braveness is not the absence of fear but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear.”
I think that’s what life is, really. It’s a series of challenges. It’s about being afraid, but going on despite the fear. It’s about putting one foot in front of the other. It’s about taking steps, moving, and not always *despite* the fear, but sometimes *because* of it. It’s about being propelled and compelled and moving, always, in the direction of hope. It’s about little things, small miracles, tiny victories. It’s about the simplest kindnesses and the biggest knowing that somehow we are, each of us, a little spoke in the grand wheel of time. The precious moments of our lives are contributing to the enormous & magical scheme of things.
Sometimes I like to remind myself of just how far I’ve come. Every day is a gift, a new chance to start again, to live like it really matters, to be my best self. It’s about not giving up even when everything seems to be stacked against me. It’s about counting my multitude of blessings over & over & over.
“I’ve had the wind knocked out of me, but never the hurricane.” —Jeffery McDaniel
Comments (3)
Anonymous
February 6, 2012 at 6:58 am
You nailed it, life is pretty simple really, we often try to make it bigger than it really is. We get caught up in the dirty details sometimes and let that bother us. We should always focus on how great we have it where we don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from or having clean water to drink or a place to live.
As we keep putting one foot in front of the other, let’s not only be inspired, but, let us continue to help and inspire others.
Meg | One Love Meg
February 6, 2012 at 8:49 am
“It’s about being afraid, but going on despite the fear..” I could not agree with that more. Sometimes we have to make choices that will scare us, but the effort of fighting past that fear will make our lives and stories better.
Andra Watkins
February 6, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Amen. I hope your new job is going well. I’m sure they are blown away with you. 🙂