Be Courageous

 by Susan Smith Jones

On the day a bear wandered into my meditation, I found out firsthand how powerful the courage is within us. Here’s what happens when we choose to live courageously.

I went to the Sierra Nevada Mountains alone for a few days of quiet meditation, fasting and prayer. On this trip, I stayed in a very small cabin next to a placid, beautiful lake. The day before I came home, I decided to take an all-day hike in the mountains. I left at dawn and hiked uphill for most of the morning. Around two in the afternoon, I decided to sit down, relax and meditate by a tree.

Sitting cross-legged, with my eyes still open, I could see paradise – several lakes and most of the Sierras. With each breath, I felt more peaceful, relaxed and connected with the spirit of life. I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on my breath, slowly inhaling and slowly exhaling. It felt wonderful. In a few more moments, I was totally absorbed in my inner world, not at all distracted by my surroundings, except for one minor thing. I thought I could hear some leaves moving. Often, when I’m meditating outdoors, I am extra-sensitive to nature’s sounds. I figured I was in tune with the leaves and their musical dance. After a few more minutes, however, the sound of the leaves moving got louder. Slightly curious, I opened one eye. What I saw made my heart jump. No more than ten feet in front of me was a bear.

My first reaction was unbridled fear. The bear just stood there and stared at me. My second reaction was to ask God what to do. The answer came instantly and, as I look back on the situation, was somewhat off-the-wall. I was told to breathe slowly and deeply – as best I could. I was also told to smile at the bear and say some kind words from my heart. I gave it my best shot.

I told the bear, in three octaves higher than I’m used to speaking, that he was beautiful, his fur was shiny and that I didn’t intend on being his lunch. By talking to him, I actually began to feel relaxed. As I acted with courage, the fear slowly began to disappear.

For about five minutes, I spoke to the bear. Then something really amazing occurred. I sensed that the bear was talking with me and responding to my comments. He even seemed to smile. Yes, part of me was still a little scared, but not paralyzed or mentally frozen. I paid attention, felt all my emotions fully and actually enjoyed the experience. Then the bear started to move in my direction and I wasn’t quite ready to hold out my hand to pet him. Before he got to me, he turned around and left. As I watched him shuffle away, I reflected on my extraordinary experience, one in which I learned that courage is inside of us all, just waiting to rear its beautiful head.

What a difference it can make if we choose to live courageously! It takes daring just to live, but it takes courage to live your vision. Getting up each morning to face the day as a willing and enthusiastic participant in life takes courage. Every day there are so many opportunities to act courageously, but fear often stands in the way.

Why do we let fear paralyze us? If we know the truth about ourselves, we can choose differently. Instead of letting fear get the better of us, we can let Spirit be our guide, with courage at the reins.

Is it possible to be in touch with your true courageousness without being in touch with Spirit? I don’t think so. We can soar to the top of the mountain when we know that the courage we want is part of us; it’s our trust in God. Trust in God will destroy the fear that stifles our efforts.

Fear comes from our misperception of a situation. We look through our human eyes and mind rather than the eyes and heart of God. When we face our fears, acting from the awareness that we are one with Spirit, we learn and nurture courage.

Jacques Maritain said, “A man of courage flees forward, in the midst of new things.” When we face our fears head on, they begin to evaporate. When we embrace what scares us, we find that we are endowed with a level of courage that we never knew existed.

Let your courage be the shield that protects you. Let courage direct your spirit’s light to shine on your path and give you the strength to live your vision, to dare to risk and go after your dreams. In the end, most people don’t regret the things they do; they regret what they failed to do.

Courage is going after the things you believe in even though they seem impossible. In one of my favorite movies, Field of Dreams, the character played by Kevin Costner went after his vision. He followed his heart and listened to his inner voice even though the world seemed to be against him. That took courage.

Like a diamond, courage has many facets. Courage is moving through uncertainly. Courage is changing when changing is the hardest thing in the world to do. Courage is being responsible for what you have created in your life and refusing to blame. It is trusting in God when you want to be in charge. It’s making difficult choices when, in this fast-paced, over-stimulated world, we are overwhelmed with information. Courage is choosing to live peacefully and simply when everything in life seems to teach the opposite. Some people think that if you have courage, you don’t have fear. Not at all. Courage is allowing yourself to be fearful, but not being overwhelmed by it. Courage is admitting you don’t know.

One of the most powerful acts of courage occurred when Jesus, knowing that His arrest, trial and crucifixion were imminent, came out of solitude and entered the city of Jerusalem to face His adversaries, with love and forgiveness in His heart.

In his passionate book, Courage Is a Three-Letter Word, Walter Anderson interviews a variety of celebrities about how they overcame their personal fears and, with courage, achieved their goals. Their stories and his own personal story inspired me in the understanding that with courage, inner strength, belief and faith, you can overcome any obstacle and make a difference in this world.

LET COURAGE BE YOUR BEACON

The lives of Dave Dravecky, Lance Armstrong and Ryan White are three more inspiring examples of how relentless courage can create miracles. Dave Dravecky, formerly a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, overcame enormous medical odds in his battle to beat cancer. His courage, determination and faith in God created a miracle. His book titled Comeback is the account of his battle. It’s an empowering story. Similarly, Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France winner many times over, also has an inspiring story of how courage and determination helped him overcome his battle with cancer. Both are heroes to me. And so was Ryan White, the hemophiliac youth who was barred from attending school in Indiana after he contracted AIDS. His is a story of true courage. He touched the lives of millions of people by how he chose to live with his challenges.

True courage enables us to live in the present moment and make choices rather than being a victim and settling for what life gives us. It’s a God-given quality that can be called upon at any time.

We strengthen and develop our courage by using it. Don’t let it go to waste. Trust in who you are and be all you were created to be by living a courageous life. It’s always your choice.

© Susan Smith Jones, MS, PhD

© Susan Smith Jones, MS, PhD is an internationally renowned motivational speaker, frequent radio/TV talk show guest, culinary instructor, holistic lifestyle coach and author of 17 books, including “Be Healthy~Stay Balanced: 21 Simple Choices to Create More Joy & Less Stress” and “The Healing Power of NatureFoods: 50 Revitalizing SuperFoods & Lifestyle Choices to Promote Vibrant Health” (Hay House, 3-book series). To order NatureFoods, please call Hay House (800) 654-5126. To learn more about Susan and her work or to order her other books and audio programs, visit: www.SusanSmithJones.com