The Courage Of Daily Living

It could be an athlete returning from what was thought to be a career-ending injury. It could be an Iraq war veteran who returns from a third tour of duty. Countless stories of courage make their way onto the front pages of the newspaper, social media, or the like.

What is easily forgotten  - or goes unnoticed – are the stories of courage that take place on a daily basis, stories that are being written by people like you and I. They could be stories of illness, personal victory, disaster, or epiphany – we all have stories to share.

“Courage” is defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear”. Courage crosses our path every day – we just may not realize it. So many people think that their story isn’t special, or isn’t grandiose enough, or is just simply dull and boring. But that just isn’t the case. Courage is all around us, it resonates within us, and it inspires us to live fully – on a daily basis.

Here are a couple of people who have shared their courageous journeys with the world, stories that resonated with me, stories that I wanted to share with you.

The first story is about Ben Breedlove, an Austin teen who suffered a fatal heart attack (secondary to hypertrophic cardiac myopathy) on December 25, 2011. He had privately recorded and uploaded a couple of videos to YouTube on December 18, just one week before his passing:

There is something incredibly touching and poetic about Ben sharing his story. It is a sad story, indeed, but it also shows us his courage in simply living a daily existence. His words are thoughtful, peaceful, and insightful. My condolences go out to his family and friends.

The second story is about a 17 year-old named Kieran Miles. Here is his video:

Miles’ story reminds us of the challenges we all face and the courage that we muster from deep within at the most difficult times to simply find a way to keep living. Through it all, his infectious smile is a great reminder that yes, there will always be (at least) 10 reasons to smile on a daily basis.

Each of us have a special perspective on the world around us. As I have mentioned before, courage in our daily lives is perhaps a commonality that we share yet never really discuss. We have all fought our own personal internal battles, and it has required our own courage to do so.

With the power of digital media, our stories can be shared readily in so many different ways. If we have the strength and fortitude, we will find a way to share our story with someone else. It might just resonate with them and give them a slightly different view of their own world. These two young high school students certainly provided me with exactly that as I watched their videos. Their stories resonated with me and they spoke volumes to me.

You don’t have to be a world famous artist or writer. You simply have to allow yourself to be open and honest, to be vulnerable, and to sit down and put words to paper or put paint to canvas or any of a myriad of other options.

Share your story with the world. Please. We are all better for it.

Photo credits: quinn.anya