Neo, Percy's mom, and Ryan: the Courage Chronicles

It has been a long while, but I am reviving this blog. Lots has changed since I last wrote here, but I will do a re-introduction post later. The one morsel I will drop here, is that I recently became a life coach, which has me looking everywhere for things that could help my clients, so the thought to revive this blog came to mind. The purpose of it to begin with was to look at human potential through the lens of different types of media, and I'll add to highlight amazing events and people in the world (something I feel is relevant again, though it likely never wasn't). On to the thoughts I came here to write.

Courage has been on my mind of late. I'm working with some clients that are in a position where they could use some. One of the first posts on this blog was about the movie, The Matrix, which I first saw 25 years ago with some friends in Russia. I rewatched it recently (no, it hasn't been that long between viewings) and was reminded of the scene where Morpheus is giving Neo the choice, the red pill or the blue, find out what it is all about or go back to ignorance. Neo's decision is almost without hesitation. He doesn't have to think in that moment, because he already has for years, and the moment has come for courage to come out as he is presented with the opportunity. I do find it funny (funny interesting, not funny ha ha) that once he learns the truth, he questions about his ability to go back. Of course he can't, and rarely is that an option. From there he grows into his decision, and lets his courage take him from there.

Each night before bed, I read to two of my girls (we'd include the third if she weren't a working teenager who is rarely home at that time). We are just finishing the first book in the Percy Jackson series, and a quote from the mother of the main character caught my interest near the end. Percy has just finished his quest, and he is wanting to solve the problem of his mom's relationship with an abusive step-father. She tells him "I think you're enough like me to understand. If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. I can't let a god take care of me...or my son. I have to...find the courage on my own. Your quest has reminded m
e of that." Sally Jackson has a choice to make: stay in the known and be belittled, or leave and chance uncertainty, which could be amazing. 

The author, Ryan Holliday, known for website and podcast The Daily Stoic, wrote a book on the first of the Stoic virtues, courage. I've read it before, but in the past week listened to Courage is Calling twice, on audiobook, as a reminder of the great courage it takes to make decisions and stick to a chosen path. He highlights stories of well-known figures like Florence Nightingale, MLK Jr., Frederick Douglas and others, people faced with a tough choice, who showed courage. He calls on us to not stand on the sidelines, to be risk takers, to get out of our comfort zone and do meaningful things.

The main ideas swirling in my head are: that courage is hard, not only in the initial action of the choice, but in the continued support of that action; that no one can have courage for us and have it be meaningful; and that our courage can help others to take courageous action of their own. I've done a lot of interesting things in my life, taken some risks, and while I didn't always know it at the time, courage was involved. Any time we make a change, or react to a change in the world around us, we are being courageous, rising above the fear that could ground us. 

To quote the movie We Bought a Zoo, "You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery, and I promise you something great will come of it."