The Path of Decisive Change
WORDS: LIZ EVANS
IMAGE: MAKSYM KAHARLYTSKYI
crosstheworld,politicalandenvironmental
instabilityhasintensified,makingfirmground
hardtofind,bothinternallyandexternally.Insuch
a volatileclimate,it’seasytofeeloverwhelmed,fearful,
angryoranxiousaboutalltheraginggoingon,andit’s
equallyunderstandabletowanttotakea breakandbury
ourheadsina soft,coolspotofsand.Butinthelonger
term,weneedtofinda morerobustresponseifweare
toeffectivelymanagetheuncertaintyfacingallofus.
Weneedtobebrave,strong,wise,intentionalandself-
aware.Inshort,weneedcourage.
Courageisshapedbyconsciousnessandrisk.
Findingcouragemeansmakingdeliberatedecisions
andchoices,andtakingpurposefulactionintheface
offrighteningorpainfulcircumstancesinordertoeffect
changeforthebetter.Lastyear,I watchedmyteenage
soncalloutandchallengesomeofthemisogynistic
andhomophobicattitudesamonghisclassmates,
whothenretaliatedwithcyberbullying.Fora whilehe
waswoundedandostracised,buttherewasnever
anyquestioninhismindabouthisactions,whichhas
givenhimaninwardstrengthbeyondhisyears.
Standinginthecourageofourconvictions,asmy
sonhasshownme,isnota part-timepursuit,butit
affordsconsistencyalongwithauthenticityandthis
iswhyauthor,poetandcivilrightsactivist,Maya
Angelou,believedcouragetobethemostimportant
ofallvirtues.“Youcanbekindfora while,”shesaid.
“Youcanbegenerousfora while;youcanbejustfor
a while,ormercifulfora while,evenlovingfora while.
Butit isonlywithcouragethatyoucanbepersistently
andinsistentlykindandgenerousandfair.”
Tobecourageousistobeyourbestselfallofthetime,
andthisissomethingwelearn,notsomethingwe’reborn
with.Courageiscultivated,andif wearetoaccessits
transformationalpotential,wemustdevelopit through
small,dailyactsofbraverythatstretchusmentallyand
spiritually.AsAngelousaid,“Youdevelopcourageby
doingcourageousthingsthatcostyousomeexertion.”
Thegrandgestureliesinthesmallstep,because
individualcouragefeedsandinspiresotheractsof
individualcourage,andthepersonalreallyispolitical.
TakeGretaThunberg,thediminutiveSwedishteenager
whohasinspiredschoolchildrentheworldovertogoon
strikeaboutclimatechange.Thunberghasovercome
cripplingshynessandseveredepressiontotakeon
hercountry’sgovernmentandtoaddresstheUnited
Nations.Fora generation,shehasbecomethevery
personificationofcourage,butforThunberg,whoonce
saidshewoulddieinsideif sheignoredthecurrent
environmentalcrisis,there’ssimplynoalternative.
Whetherwestagea globalprotestorrefusetobuy
coffeeina disposablecup,couragebothrequiresand
enablesustobeactivistsofonekindoranother.It asks
andassistsustostandfastintheeyeofthestorm,
andtomovebeyonddismayanddespair,indifference
andoblivion,toa braveandactivepathofcreativeand
decisivechange.AsAngelousays:“Thecourageto
confrontevil,andturnit,bydintofwill,intosomething
applicabletothedevelopmentofourevolution,
individuallyandcollectively,isexciting,honourable.”
Thechallengeofcouragerequiresustorefusethe
numbingdistractionsofherdthinking,todenythe
reductivepsychologydrivingsomuchoftoday’s
digitalactivity,toresistcopying,sharingandliking,
andtocomeupwithoriginalthoughtsandopinions
ofourown.It alsoasksustofindtheconfidenceto
feedoriginalitybackintothecollective,withcareand
compassion.CocoChaneldescribedcourageas
“thinkingforyourselfaloud”andE.E.Cummingssaid,
“ittakescouragetogrowupandbecomewhoyou
reallyare.”Now,morethanever,weneedtogrowup
authentically,andthinkindependently,outloud.Weneed
toacceptthatthewayweliveisimportant,andthat
weeachhaveanimpactontheinterconnectingand
connectiveweboflifetowhichwebelong.Weneed
tokeepourheartsstrongandsafelyinourminds.
Inan age of unpredictability and increasing volatility,
courage offers affirmation and direction, guiding us
purposefully and confidently into the unknown.
A
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