[Are you living courageously?]

Sounds like it would be exciting doesn’t it? But what does it really mean to you? It is surely different for each and every one of us. For some of us, it may mean getting through a health problem as we face the daily routine. For others it may mean getting along with family members who are difficult for us to deal with, in a patient, compassionate, and non-judgmental fashion. Yet for another it may mean learning to fly a plane, climb Mt. Everest, or retire to their most favorite get-a-away.

Ask yourself “what would living courageously look like for me? How would I look, how would I ‘feel’, how would I ‘be’? What things would I be ‘doing’ differently?”

All of us have the ability to live life as large as we can imagine, but somehow we never get around to making specific plans to actually do it. What does it take to move us from “intention” to “action”?

Recently there was a story in “Cruising World” written by a man who started living courageously after suffering a heart attack. During his near death experience, he envisioned what he had always wanted to do – circumnavigate the globe! The power of the realization that he might die before he accomplished this goal was so great, it energized him to “hang on” (literally), get treatment, and upon doctor’s approval, he and his wife “shoved off “ for a 5 year adventure sailing the high seas!

This is a perfect example of how a life crisis can suddenly bring our heartfelt desires clearly into focus, with an energy and commitment to succeed like none we have experienced before! I recommend reading the article*. Witness the passion and compassion he experienced in living his dream; it is a wonderful story with a very sweet message for us all!

How many other stories have you heard like this? Wake up calls that come in various forms; divorce, empty nest, death of loved ones, health issues, or loss of job which have propelled people to seek the meaning of their lives. In his book, “The Holographic Universe”, Michael Talbot relates numerous accounts of near death experiences and the life changing after effects described by the individuals.

Why wait for the drama, why not begin living courageously, compassionately, right now? We all have the potential!

Would it be all right with you if life got easier? When we are able to connect to our true-selves and we create life plans that incorporate our heart felt passions, we see life from a bigger, more magnificent perspective. Life has magic, it gets easy, each step we take makes sense, because it is towards an objective that is purely your own.

Defined traditionally courageous is “facing uncertainty or danger head on with personal presence and confidence”. Courage has been called “fear that has said its prayers”, and if we look, each of us has an inventory of courageous acts, courageous days, and courageous ways in which we live.

The first step in awakening to our courageous self is to make a list of the many courageous things we have already done, and then celebrate them! In the movie “What the Bleep?” we learned how our brains do not know the difference between what is memory or what is reality. So why not try a little “quantum physics” theory for yourself? Make your list of courageous acts, then sit quietly and imagine you are there again!

Let yourself enjoy the thrill of those memories, let yourself experience the magnificence of those moments as if they are happening right now. Re-living those positive experiences teaches us that we are courageous!

Now, start your “spiritual to do list” the one that has all the wonderful things you would like to do, but just never get time for. Make sure your “spiritual to do list” gets incorporated with your “daily to do list” so that it gets your “attention” on your “intentions”! Alphabetically it fits just after “shopping”!

Learning how to expand our vision of our potential, our true magnificence, and ourselves is the key to fulfilling our life’s dreams courageously. Dedicating time to explore our inner landscape and passions is a rewarding, life changing experience for those of us who dare!

If you think about it, the most important relationship we have in life is the one we have with ourselves. It determines how we interact in the world, how we experience others, and how we perceive life. Take time to honor who you are, connect with your inner passion, and your natural bliss will be awakened. Planning the route to your destination is easy, once you know where you would like to go. You can decide to direct your energy towards your true intentions and experience a magical life!

As far as we know, this is our only earthly experience in this lifetime. Why not live your most magnificent existence, with conscious compassion, in pursuit of a life that matters, every moment of every day?? Now that’s courageous!!

Dianne Kipp, BSN is a nurse, researcher, teacher, lobbyist, sailor, and adventure tour guide. She also organizes Awesome Retreats She is a member of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, the International Coaching Federation, and the Institute of Interspiritual Inquiry. Dianne can be reached at 727-322-1561 or 727-481-1646. Copyright Dianne M. Kipp 2005