Choosing Courage Found in Hope
250 words/min = 4 min Read
If you are like me, you’re ready for the COVID-19 disruption to be over! One thing I have enjoyed seeing is all the heartwarming stories of courageous people making a difference during the pandemic. What makes them tick? How do they choose to move in the midst of danger? One thing is certain; we are constantly reminded of what fear looks like around the world. Pick the chaos: unemployment, financial insecurity, lack of community, loss of hobbies like sports, concerts, or even going out to eat.
Fear seems like an ever-present COVID-19 reality. We may find ourselves worrying if we have been exposed? If so, will we have to go to the hospital? Will the hospital be able to treat us? Will we lose a loved one due to the COVID-19 virus? We have plenty to fear.
When I was a young boy growing up in the country, a dog that was either wild and hungry or had rabies came out of the woods. It immediately started running towards my younger brother and me. I saw the dog coming and that it had no collar and did not look friendly (no tail wagging), so I picked up a metal pipe on the ground and told my brother to get behind me. I knew we were not fast enough to outrun the dog, but my fear of getting attacked by the dog released some serious adrenaline!
The dog would bark, lunge, try to bite our legs, and circle us while I would swing my pipe at him. Each time he circled, we took a step back towards the house. The contest ended in a draw when we made it safely to the porch of our home. I wasn’t fast enough to strike the dog, but the dog didn’t get a chance to bite my brother or me.
At that moment, the fear I experienced gave me perfect clarity. There was an imminent threat approaching. I armed myself and moved in between the dog and my brother. It was time to move. Interestingly, I don’t remember if I went outside the next day. The immediate threat was gone. However, there was always a fear that it could come again. The days I played in the yard, woods, and fields with no attacker far outweighed the one ambush, but from that day forward, I knew the threat was possible.
What do we do with our fear? If we ignore fear, it may be to our peril! If we suppress, it could lead us towards anxiety or even depression. Fear is a reaction that is both learned and instinctual from our experiences and genetics. When a threat arises, fear can energize action or keep us hiding indoors. We don’t fear wild dogs running out of the woods, but it is easy to see the threat of the Coronavirus around every corner. In grocery stores, work spaces, and friend’s homes. When the government opens up the economy again, we will find ourselves asking the same question, “Do we go outside to play tomorrow?”
The problem is fear is so powerful it can leave us feeling powerless. The raw energy that is meant to energize our efforts can paralyze our movement. Fear is our body’s natural reaction. However, if we slow down and think about our fear, we realize we still have a choice in how we respond. One way to respond to fear is to find courage in hope.
We must make sure not to skip this critical step. Hope gives us a reason to find courage and move. When we hope, we choose to exert power over fear. We recognize the reality of the current situation but choose to hope that tomorrow will be better. Armed with our new expectation of tomorrow, hope is what calls us to create a better future. Our ability to join the creation of a better tomorrow helps our focus turn from the fear of what could happen to the potential of what we help create. A better future. My hope of building a fort, riding a bike, creating memories with my family and friends moved me out of the house despite the threat of a wild dog.
When we hope we take personal responsibility for doing our part to create the better tomorrow. Examples are all over the news like LEGO making 13,000 plastic face visors a day for hospital workers, a highway trooper giving a doctor an N95 mask instead of a ticket, or a former NFL player turned neurosurgeon volunteering to help on the COVID-19 floor. In all of these examples, people could have chosen to live paralyzed in fear instead of choosing to move with courage and make a difference.
So, when we face fear, one way we can move with courage is when we choose to see the situation with hope. Doctors and nurses put themselves in harm’s way every day and especially now, not because they are unaware of the risks. Many of them assume those risks because they hope to reduce human suffering on a much larger scale. So, when you turn on the television and hear all the bad news, and you feel afraid, remember that it is a natural reaction. We still have a chance to choose how we want to move.
If you have been struggling with fear or going through a transition in your personal life or business check out MOVE!
~ Dallas
Choosing Courage Found in Hope
Choosing Courage Found in Hope
250 words/min = 4 min Read
If you are like me, you’re ready for the COVID-19 disruption to be over! One thing I have enjoyed seeing is all the heartwarming stories of courageous people making a difference during the pandemic. What makes them tick? How do they choose to move in the midst of danger? One thing is certain; we are constantly reminded of what fear looks like around the world. Pick the chaos: unemployment, financial insecurity, lack of community, loss of hobbies like sports, concerts, or even going out to eat.
Fear seems like an ever-present COVID-19 reality. We may find ourselves worrying if we have been exposed? If so, will we have to go to the hospital? Will the hospital be able to treat us? Will we lose a loved one due to the COVID-19 virus? We have plenty to fear.
When I was a young boy growing up in the country, a dog that was either wild and hungry or had rabies came out of the woods. It immediately started running towards my younger brother and me. I saw the dog coming and that it had no collar and did not look friendly (no tail wagging), so I picked up a metal pipe on the ground and told my brother to get behind me. I knew we were not fast enough to outrun the dog, but my fear of getting attacked by the dog released some serious adrenaline!
The dog would bark, lunge, try to bite our legs, and circle us while I would swing my pipe at him. Each time he circled, we took a step back towards the house. The contest ended in a draw when we made it safely to the porch of our home. I wasn’t fast enough to strike the dog, but the dog didn’t get a chance to bite my brother or me.
At that moment, the fear I experienced gave me perfect clarity. There was an imminent threat approaching. I armed myself and moved in between the dog and my brother. It was time to move. Interestingly, I don’t remember if I went outside the next day. The immediate threat was gone. However, there was always a fear that it could come again. The days I played in the yard, woods, and fields with no attacker far outweighed the one ambush, but from that day forward, I knew the threat was possible.
What do we do with our fear? If we ignore fear, it may be to our peril! If we suppress, it could lead us towards anxiety or even depression. Fear is a reaction that is both learned and instinctual from our experiences and genetics. When a threat arises, fear can energize action or keep us hiding indoors. We don’t fear wild dogs running out of the woods, but it is easy to see the threat of the Coronavirus around every corner. In grocery stores, workspaces, and friend’s homes. When the government opens up the economy again, we will find ourselves asking the same question, “Do we go outside to play tomorrow?”
The problem is fear is so powerful it can leave us feeling powerless. The raw energy that is meant to energize our efforts can paralyze our movement. Fear is our body’s natural reaction. However, if we slow down and think about our fear, we realize we still have a choice in how we respond. One way to respond to fear is to find courage in hope.
We must make sure not to skip this critical step. Hope gives us a reason to have the courage to move. When we hope we choose to exert power over fear. We recognize the reality of the current situation but choose to hope that tomorrow will be better. Armed with our new expectation of tomorrow, hope is what calls us to create a better future. Our ability to join the creation of a better tomorrow helps our focus turn from the fear of what could happen to the potential of what we help create. A better future. My hope of building a fort, riding a bike, creating memories with my family and friends moved me out of the house despite the threat of a wild dog.
When we hope we take personal responsibility for doing our part to create the better tomorrow. Examples are all over the news like LEGO making 13,000 plastic face visors a day for hospital workers, a highway trooper giving a doctor an N95 mask instead of a ticket, or a former NFL player turned neurosurgeon volunteering to help on the COVID-19 floor. In all of these examples, people could have chosen to live paralyzed in fear instead of choosing to move with courage and make a difference.
So, when we face fear, one way we can move with courage is when we choose to see the situation with hope. Doctors and nurses put themselves in harm’s way every day and especially now, not because they are unaware of the risks. Many of them assume those risks because they hope to reduce human suffering on a much larger scale. So, when you turn on the television and hear all the bad news, and you feel afraid, remember that it is a natural reaction. We still have a chance to choose how we want to move.
If you have been struggling with fear or going through a transition in your personal life or business check out MOVE!
~ Dallas
