Community of Excellence - Wealth of Courage

The second component of a Community of Excellence is Courage. The Courage to do the right thing both for yourself and your fellow Community members.

Just this morning I realized something about courage that now seems obvious but had been one of those 'too close to the forest' things. Courage is 100% a spiritual quality. The last post was written to address Security in all four human levels, soul, heart, mind, and body. But courage is different. It only applies to the Soul.

"Courage isn't the absence of fear, its overcoming your fears to do your job anyway." Just watch The Cowardly Lion. And the dozens of other movie moments where this truism is devolved into cliche.

But let us look upon it as a truism. Courage is overcoming fear. Fear is an emotion - a heartfelt energy. Nature's way of giving us a boost to help us survive threats.

To surrender to our fears is to just freeze. Do nothing. Fall to our knees mumbling ridiculous incantations hoping that someone, somewhere will save us. "I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I do, I do."

To allow the fears to win is to escape. We run. No fight just flight. Abandon ship in our underwear never caring one iota for the hundreds of passengers who are in our care. Cowardice, the lowest form of greed, and the most sinful if we abandon those who look to us for help.

But what of courage? Having the fortitude to do our part in spite of the fear. Realizing that the quality of life is far, far more important than the quantity. For what is it we leave behind, to our heirs? The cowardice to abandon others only leads to our own loneliness. Self-banishment. A spiritual prison sentence. So there is no one to leave anything to even if we retained anything beyond the cowardice. But courage inspires. Courage is rewarded by those important to us in such spiritually wonderful ways.

I'll offer you this. Back in the 1980's my good friend Eddie Brown died of a heart attack at 36 years old. He had survived the Siege of Khe San in Viet Nam only to collapse right in the street on his way to work. Dozens of us who worked with him that went to the funeral were joined by dozens of Marines, also survivors from Khe San, some of who traveled from thousands of miles away. All there to join in celebrating the passing of a true hero and gentleman.

What did Eddie leave his son? Proof positive that displaying the Courage to stand by your fellows, be they Marines or co-workers, is always indelibly treasured by those who were rewarded by it. Eddie left an inspiration for having the fortitude to do the right thing. The strength of spirit that will be invaluable in any and all situations that may come up in life.

How valuable is that?