Security
is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright
exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits
in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.
- Helen Keller
What
is courage? Is it relegated to firefighters and soldiers?
Do you have to be willing to jump off a cliff with a bungee
cord attached to your ankle in order to be considered courageous?
Instances of courage are displayed every single day by the
people in whom you are currently surrounded. It shows up
in the cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. It shows
up on the little league field when you child doesn't allow
others to pick on the underdog. Courage is present when
a person challenges the common opinion.
As
children, many of us were taught not to take unnecessary risks.
Courageous acts were unique, and rewarded when they occasionally
happened, but not necessarily encouraged. Security was the
goal - feeling safe taking precedence over taking undue risks.
Our parents told us not to attract attention to ourselves.
Don't talk to strangers. Be CAREFUL! Parental instincts are
meant to keep children safe and protected from the world.
No doubt, there exist real life dangers one must avoid. But
there is a huge gap between recklessness and courage. It takes
courage to face down your imaginary fears and reclaim a powerful
life.
As
parents, it's up to us to teach our children the core values
and principles we hold dearly, so that they are equipped to
make important and wise decisions in their lives. Of course,
there is no guarantee that they will make wise decisions.
All we can do is teach them until they stop listening, and
then do a lot of praying that something we taught them actually
sticks. You pray your wisdom will come back to them at the
time when they most need it.
The
way we teach them is important. The way we live our own life
likely has the most profound effect on the way our children
mold and shape their own character. They learn right from
wrong by watching us take action in our life. They measure
our courage when we stand up for them, whether they realize
it in the moment or not. They look up to us as their role
model, their protector, their cheerleader, their coach, their
friend. Our children learn how to be who they are by watching
us. They learn by making mistakes. They learn by watching
how we react to their mistakes. Children are always learning
and growing, even in the most unlikely moments.
Teaching
children to be comfortable with taking risks gives them valuable
life skills necessary for navigating their future. As their
parents, we are grooming our future leaders; leaders emerge
from the lessons we teach them as children. Teach children
that it's ok to be afraid as long as their fear doesn't paralyze
them. Teach them to accept the consequences of a plan gone
bad, and encourage them to discover the lesson inside it.
Provide a safe environment for them to test their wings, building
courage a little at a time. Don't allow our children to shrink
away from taking chances, and be sure to gather them up in
your arms when they fail. Love them unconditionally and demonstrate
that love through intentional action. Anything is possible
when they feel powerful love.
