Mini Motivation #7 - Are you brave enough to practice bravery?
Ever been silenced before?
You witness injustice, unfairness or just plain abuse, and you want to speak up, but you just can't? And you feel shitty after that when you think back, and it haunts you for a while because you didn't do anything at that moment?
Yeah, I have plenty of that. I used to turn away whenever I was "confronted" by such acts, especially when I lack the confidence to speak up. I'll try to justify by saying things like,
"Oh, someone will come around and make it right." - How would I know?
"Oh, they will be fine. They lasted this long, so they should be fine." - So that means they continue to be taken advantage of?
"I'll help them the next time." - What if there're no next time?
It eats into me, really.
Nowadays, luckily as I grew older, thanks to support of good friends and great teachers, I am braver. And with some wisdom I manage to accumulate over the years, comes strategy and tact, to see if there are ways to solve it issue without a confrontation.
Two things I learned in the process (and I'm pretty sure many will still come):
- When we get emotionally charged up about the issue, our vision becomes impaired. Tunnel vision stops us from seeing and thinking outside the box we're in. Focus on the present, take a step back, and often the solution is just next door.
- You know that sound your heart makes when you're afraid? Interestingly, I learned that it's the same sound when you're courageous too.
Mini Motivation is my own daily strategy to inspire myself. Mostly 3 minute reads.
From Motivation, we gain Inspiration. From Inspiration, we achieve Momentum. And the rest, they say, is history.
Hope it helps nudge you a bit too in the right direction.
Oh it did? Let me know in the comments, and of course an upvote would be a nice motivation for me. :)
Stay awesome!
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You have taught me so much following along with your motivations. Courage to me is such an action word for if you don't have courage you stay paralyzed in the same spot. But one you have courage you can take one step at a time to get done what you feared from the get go. Thanks for sharing.
And thanks for commenting!
Truth is, when we see courageous acts, it moves us from within, because it reminds us of what we can do (that we're not doing). Those courage can come from outside, but those that ignite from within, that's what drives us forward.
Thanks @maverickfoo. I think if I remember right there is some phenomenon called The Genovese Syndrome where people in a scary situation will see a stranger being attacked or abused and they do not do anything because they think others will do something. Has happened in big cities like New York
Interesting.
Anyway, thanks for the post . and I know I ,too, have been in situations in the past where I could have and should have done more.
Good for you to be aware and reflect on those past experiences. I too, had an experience where I saw a snatch thief took a lady's purse, and make a dash for it while she was shouting hysterically. I knew I could easily just stopped the guy with a bump, but I just froze. I realise it was that moment that I became an onlooker too. Maybe they, too, were paralysed by what's happening.
Precisely so, thanks for making me realise this interesting finding! It would make much sense to turn such energy into courage and wisdom to resolve an issue (under applicable circumstances) instead of feeding it to fear which could paralyse us in many situations.
Same goes to singing and speaking while extending the sounds of some words. The brain, on it's own, is incapable of differentiating the two.
I think that it's their decision, of course if I see someone kicking a cat. I stood against him. But when you see a couple yelling at each, or just the man, you don't have to be chivalry all the time. It may not just end well. I know you are speaking in a general perspective but I don't know why this example came up to my mind instantly.
That's where wisdom comes it, I guess. Couples yelling at each other may be their business, which I try to respect and stay away from. But the moment the man raises his hand, then intervention is needed.
At least that's what I think.
That notion of practicing bravery is really true.
And practicing real bravery, not the hit first and talk later or never, but practicing restraint, foresight, exploring other ways of dealing with issues...
If this can start from childhood, if babies were fed less on fear and intolerance and more on kindness and taught how to be humane... if only...
@originalworks