“What is courage, really? We talked about this when all of team courage met up. I think that courage is working with your fears, not against them. Learning to work with what you have, to know when to be afraid and back away but also knowing when your fear is being a bit ridiculous and you can ignore it and let the adrenaline from the fear push you to a better circumstance. Courage helps you know what is best in your current situation. Courage overrides your instinctual fight or flight and makes you think, do I really have to run away from this? Do I really have to fight it? Or can whatever is happening help me in the long run.” -Hannah
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Jeremiah: Courage isn’t not being scared of something; its being scared, but doing it anyway. That quote has always stuck with me. The thing I did this week wasn’t a very big deal in the grand scheme of things I guess, but it definitely took courage there’s this girl (yeah its one of these stories, buckle up) who I’ve wanted to get to know better for a while, so I wanted to ask her for her cell-phone number through Facebook. When I got home I chickened out and left it, but then later remembered the challenge and thought… crap. I have to do this don’t I. Come on Jeremiah, be a man. So I took a breath and sent to her “so I got some bad news. I lost my number, I couldn’t have yours could I?” Yeah its really lame I know. And she still hasn’t responded but it definitely took courage.
Nathan: Courage is such a broad word, can you really pin a meaning to it? That word draws so many interpretations, can be applied to so many aspects of life; I can’t really give it a definition without feeling as though it doesn’t capture its true power and weight. What it means to me is undefined, because it means too much to put into a short string of words. Whether it’s courage in facing a fear, courage in finding yourself, courage in stepping up to the plate when duty calls, or whatever life throws your way, it applies. You simply can’t grasp that with a small stream of words. What did I do this week you ask? I kept it simple, the way I like it. I didn’t do any one major thing, I did a whole string of small things. I said hi and talked to people I don’t normally. I took on more complex jobs at work. I asked multiple people to hangout, something I rarely ever do. I played a made up game with my 6 year old cousin, something I’ve always found myself avoiding. I don’t really have a grand story to tell, nothing I did was extravagant or even exciting, but they were things I don’t normally find myself comfortable doing. They were things I often find myself backing out of for whatever reason. But hey, it’s a start.
Kyndra: Courage means the ability to do something you wouldn’t usually. Something unlike yourself. This week I made very small attempts out of my bubble. Well what may be small for others but kind of huge for me. I made decisions with minimal thinking and process. Usually it takes me forever to make decisions. Anyways, I made quick decisions, like saying goodbye on a conversation rather than passing off the phone while finishing a task and then talking after. Like only taking a few seconds to pick what I wanted for lunch at a restaurant while reading the whole menu board. Deciding on what to wear in the morning. Or whether or not to shower before bed or in the morning. These are all the easy things of life for many people but for me these appear to be life or death situations that take forever for me decide upon. It got easier as the week went on but I’m still really bad at it and frequently questioned my decisions after I made them. This was rather difficult for me but I learned that I can do it. So now the goal is to find a happy medium, long processes only when necessary as with quick decision making. I’ve realized courage comes in all shapes and sizes and it’s all about you and what makes you courageous no matter how big or small.
Hannah: Honestly, this week wasn’t really one of my best weeks, but I did a couple of small things that I don’t usually do and I felt proud of myself after doing so. I went out and I met some more people. I’m a wallflower type person so I didn’t do a lot of talking but I sat at a restaurant with some people and got to know things about them by listening to their conversations and seeing how they act. Something that really bothers me is when people say something bad about one of my friends or those who I am fond of. I actually voiced my thoughts this week when people said things that bothered me. The last thing I did was I answered the phone. Sounds like a normal, everyday thing to do, right? But not for me. I am so terrified to answer the phone. Especially when I don’t know who’s going to be on the other side. I answered the phone. Not knowing who would be there. It was a big step for me. Wasn’t anyone important on the other line though, just an automated message from my school board. I thought this challenge would be hard for me because I spend so much time in a bubble of comfort but honestly the things I did, I wasn’t even thinking about the challenge when I did them. It was really just me, and I guess that that means Project Courage is helping me in ways I didn’t even realize. I am so grateful for that.
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I realized that I never shared my friend making experience. So here goes… I was at a drama competition and its the night of awards, which means that basically everyone from every play is there. I met four new people that night and it was so amazing. Honestly I just walked up and said “Hello I’m Laura” and just started a conversation. It was slightly awkward at first but I ended up sitting beside two of the guys the entire night laughing about penguins and apples. Making new friends isn’t really difficult to me and I love talking to new people. I guess I need to be more aware of stranger danger! This week I also became a lot closer to an acquaintance who I can now call a friend. We bonded at competition over square dancing, camera effects, and reverse charades. All in all, making new friends was easy and fun. This week reminded me of how much I love meeting new people and how I will continue to in my future.
Cowardly lion photo from http://plpnetwork.com/2011/03/07/the-courage-to-change. Apple photo from https://www.sprayitaway.com/2013/08/8-health-benefits-to-eating-apples.
Simple Smiles 