It Takes Courage
There is much we do in life that is courageous, even though we may not think so at the time. Courage is a basic human quality. It gives man stability, confidence, a spirit of self-determination.
Unfortunately, many believe this moral fiber is no longer needed, because we have conquered those frightening frontiers of yesterday. But there is a greater need for courage in our lives today than we might suppose. In fact, if we had the courage to live our convictions, many of life’s problems would disappear.
It takes courage to admit that one is wrong, and it takes courage to correct the course. For example, there are thousands of alcoholics and drug users who found the courage to change, and who now face life without terrifying journeys into oblivion. It was once said, “The glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time you fall.”1
It takes courage for some parents to sit down with their teen-aged children and bridge the communications gap between them. Husbands and wives on the brink of divorce need courage to re-carve and restructure their marriages – often just the courage to discuss their problems.
And for all of us: It takes courage to get involved in life and the lives of people around us, to help others when they need help, to tolerate differences, to forgive those who have wronged us.
Some may argue, “Yes, it does take courage to do those things, but it’s a courage that I don’t have.” The late President John F. Kennedy pointed out that “To be courageous requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula, no special combination of time, place, and circumstance. It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all. …
Each man must decide for himself the course he will follow. The stories of past courage can define that ingredient – they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”2
1Author Unknown
2John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage
June 04, 1972
Broadcast Number 2,228