Confrontation is probably one of the hardest things for some to do, and yet it is so very necessary.
I had a former coworker whose habits used to annoy me to no end. I wouldn’t address her actions, I just put up with her behavior day in and day out. It got to the point where I tried to avoid her as much as possible, but that didn’t work because her job directly interacted with and affected mine. After about a year of putting up with her shenanigans, one day I finally exploded all over her like a volcano eruption. It was not pretty. If I had dealt with the situation long before I was past fed up, I am sure I would’ve handled the problem much better. I realize now that the person most harmed by not confronting the situation was me. Harboring resentment is never healthy.
Another time, I had a new boss whom I needed to confront his behavior toward me. I was petrified, but I liked my job and knew it must be done. The discussion went well. He received my feedback and even corrected his actions. The relationship blossomed from there. The remainder of the time I worked under him, we respected one another. It was one of the best jobs I ever had. I am glad I summed up the courage to discuss it with him.
Webster’s Dictionary defines courage as the mental and moral strength to venture out, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.
Nelson Mandela was known to say, “I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Sometimes fear can be deception creating the emotion from an imaginary problem. When I first moved into the house with my husband, I heard noises that sounded as if they were in our house, but it was actually a next door neighbor going in and out of their house. These strange noises were freaking me out and always seemed to occur when I was home alone. Someone created an acronym of the word FEAR.
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real…
…and freaking me the heck out when I was home alone.
Another inspiring person created an acronym for COURAGE.
Continuing
Onward
Under
Rigorous
And
Grinding
Experiences
Recently, I heard a song that spoke to me so deeply. The song is called The Breakup Song by Francesca Battistelli. She is breaking up with fear because she has had as much of fear as she can take. She said she refused to let fear tell her what she is not, because her identity is entirely strong, brave and free. This is Francesca triumphing over fear. She sang that fear has no part in her story and will never be welcomed here. I put this song on repeat until I had memorized all the lyrics and could recite them in my sleep.
Where does courage come from? What makes some more courageous than others? Does the Navy SEAL soldier shake in his boots on the battle field? I’ll bet he is brave in spite of the fear.
I am reminded of the story of David and Goliath. Long before young David fought and killed this nine-foot giant, he was shepherding his father’s sheep. He confronted a lion attempting to escape with one of the sheep, and another time, a bear tried to attack his flock. On both occasions, David went after the predators and struck and killed these ferocious animals. By the time David encountered Goliath, he had full confidence that Goliath was meat for the buzzards.
Breaking up with fear may be hard to do, but I am going to practice, practice, practice until I build up enough courage to override the fear that is prohibiting me from accomplishing more and being all I can be. David killed a lion, killed a bear, and killed Goliath. He went on to become a great warrior, and eventually became king. How much more could I accomplish with this same mindset?
The Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz summed it up…
What makes a king out of a slave?
What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage!
What makes the elephant charge his tusk, in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?
What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage!
What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?
What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage!
What makes the Hottentot so hot?
Who puts the "ape" in apricot?
And what have they got that I ain't got? COURAGE!