Tuesday, October 30, 2012

BRAVE




Being BRAVE is often associated with risky daring exploits, the types immortalized by war heroes and over hyped by the movies; be it a James Bond genre or a Rocky series. More subtle variations of Bravery are displayed in spy thrillers and select war movies. The classical view of bravery depicts Bold Responsible Action Valued Everywhere and that is the epicenter of most of the exploits highlighted.

Far too often bravery is portrayed or understood to mean undertaking death defying challenges ostensibly for a just cause. The ultimate act of bravery is epitomized and lauded when a person dies in the line of duty whilst battling evil or enemies. Whilst there is no two opinions that flirting with death and succumbing to it at times is the pinnacle of bravery, one should not mistake that to be the only act of bravery. In daily life each of us is provided with a variety of opportunities to display our bravery. Unfortunately most times we prefer to choose soft options rationalizing that it is better to go with the flow than stand up and be in the eye of a storm. Standing up to resist any form of corruption would perhaps rank very high in the list of opportunities to be brave. This could be closely followed by opportunities to speak up against injustice, taking a principled stand on matters that need self regulation (eg. Following traffic discipline or refusing to allow another to copy from you in an exam) or being brave enough to own up ones mistakes.

Overcoming our fears and anxieties would be best tackled by finding ones reserve of bravery from deep within. Public speaking for example is widely accepted fear for most people and it takes a lot of courage to bravely volunteer to face an audience. You need to be doubly brave to repeat the performance in case you messed up the first time. Where power equations are dominant, as in seniors and juniors in academic institutions or in professional life where there is a boss subordinate relationship, those on the lower echelons would have to have display extraordinary bravery to resist the tyranny of those higher up in the hierarchy, Similarly treading an offbeat path be it in a career choice, pursuing a passion or dreaming big requires tremendous self belief and an even bigger slice of bravery.

To be BRAVE is not simply daring. It is daring coupled with caution; calculated risk taking transcribed into action and pushing the envelope when it matters most. That explains why one is seen as brave when it is an outcome of a Bold Responsible Action Valued Everywhere.

Action Points:

  • Outline 3-5 areas of concern within your immediate personal, social, professional or physical environment that irks you or irritates you. Now outline a proactive plan of action that you will implement to ensure that you take steps to address the issue.
  • Have you ever tried to learn juggling/ magic/ card tricks/ cartooning/ singing/ cartooning? Pick  2 from the list that you have never attempted and bravely announce to your immediate family and friends that you will regale them with those new talents before the year end.


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Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.
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