Courage is extremely peculiar because it, in its proper form, is not merely ignorance of danger or hardship, but rather it acknowledges the eminent hardship and makes a conscious decision to endure it, or potentially endure it, for the sake of some greater good. I know, that was a long sentence, but the kicker was at the end. Did you catch it. I'll leave it for later, but let us look at two reasons why many these days abandon the courage that makes heroes and legends.
Culture of Comfort
The United States is an awesome country. And it is so because of the blood, sweat, and tears of many individuals. But a quick look at the culture surrounding us will reveal a culture that is obsessed with comfort. Comfort is an American way of life. Advertisements prompt you with catch phrases like "easier" and "quicker". Get rich quick schemes are pervasive because there are people who want to get rich without the effort. Getting rich as a goal is itself an effort towards comfort. Lavished lifestyles are the most desired way of living and many flee from work and hardship like they were the plague. The problem is that the old saying, "No pain, no gain" is the absolute truth 99% of the time. The most loftiest goals all require discomfort. Many perhaps see reason to be courageous, but choose not to be for fear of discomfort.
Our children will know that comfort is a luxury, not the norm. We will make conscious efforts to bring discomfort (that's right....discomfort) for the sake of gaining a healthy understanding of comfort and hardship. Dr. Laura always affirms that, "just because something is hard doesn't mean it is not worth doing."
Nation of Ninnies
And that brings us to the second portion of the lack of courage. Many may understand that one must endure discomfort to bring to fruition a noble goal; that should be painfully obvious to anyone. But a bigger barrier to courage is not just the realization of hardship, but rather the fear in anticipating the hardship. Fear has gripped our nation's citizens. Because of the amount comfort that we experience as Americans, we will do anything to escape hardship; including cower. The panic that permeates our cities when a "Mad Cow" or "Avian Bird" epidemic is announced is extraordinary. Even as I write this, I have had people attempt to throw fear on me for the hardship that raising a child brings. "Wait until the crying infant stage, or the terrible twos, or the rebellious middle-school years, or the liberating high school years." You know what I say?
Bring it on.
Fear was meant to prepare us, not to cripple and debilitate us. Our children will know this as well. They will have to face their fears (I'll make sure of it). Whether they overcome them or not is largely up to them. But I will display the proper response to fear so that they can see how to use this ability we all posses.
Fear and Comfort must be dealt with properly before courage can have its way. But there is still one element to courage that is vitally important. For that, let's go back. Back to the kicker.
I originally said that courage was making a conscious decision to endure hardship or its potential for the sake of some greater good. The kicker should be obvious. What is it? The "greater good"!!! This is vital to the essence of courage. Courage is not a haphazard renegade of a mission to see how much danger one can be in the way of. Courage has a nobility to it. A person is courageous not for the sake of being courageous, but for the sake of some other good. And there is plenty of GOOD to be courageous about. Our children will know what "good" is, and that it is worth being courageous for. Think how different the world would be if the majority acted courageously toward all the good causes that exist.
Wow.
