by Rebecca Perkins

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The Real Definition of Courage

The Real Definition of Courage
By Rebecca Perkins

We take so much of our strength and resilience for granted. Courage isn’t about being a battle-ready soldier; some days there is courage in saying, “tomorrow is another day”. We show courage on a daily basis because our lives and the lives of those we love matter to us.

When we feel deeply passionate about something, we find courage easily — for example we find superhuman strength to protect our children. So let us find that same passion and courage for ourselves, trusting that whatever our circumstances are right now (and regardless of whether we feel courageous), we can find a valuable seam of courage if we dig just below the surface.

I’ve kept the quote by Mary Anne Radmacher close to my heart, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the silent voice at the end of the day that says ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”

I’ve been called courageous, resilient and brave many times in my life. (I’ve also been called naive, foolish and crazy!) I want to put the record straight.  We are all courageous, I am no different to you. I was asked one day by a friend, “how to you do it? I just don’t have your courage.” I thought about it when I got home, I didn’t see myself as particularly courageous, but it got me thinking about the meaning of courage and what it meant to me and I wrote down these thoughts in my journal:

  • Courage is saying sorry
  • Courage is knowing when to say ‘enough’
  • Courage is saying I love you
  • Courage is saying yes
  • Courage is saying no
  • Courage is being truthful with oneself
  • Courage is knowing that we screwed up
  • Courage is admitting we can’t cope alone
  • Courage is letting go
  • Courage is reaching out
  • Courage is standing up for something we believe in
  • Courage is burning our boats and never going back
  • Courage is doing something new
  • Courage is being willing to receive
  • Courage is trusting someone again
  • Courage is choosing love over fear
  • Courage is standing up for oneself
  • Courage is choosing to truly live
  • Courage is  learning to love again
  • Courage is believing in oneself for the first time
  • Courage is being vulnerable
  • Courage is breaking with tradition
  • Courage is asking for help
  • Courage is stopping to rest
  • Courage is letting the tears flow
  • Courage is continuing through adversity
  • Courage is trusting that all will be well

Do you see? We are ALL courageous in our own way. What’s the smallest possible step you could take to believe in your own courage?

This first appeared as one of the chapters in Best Knickers Always: 50 Lessons for Midlife

About the Author: Rebecca Perkins

Rebecca Perkins is the author of Best Knickers Always: 50 Lessons for Midlife and founder of RebPerkins.com. Her latest book 40 Words of Wisdom for my 24 Year Old: A Parenting Manifesto (originally a Huffington Post blog) was published in April.

 She began writing to make sense of her life after the ending of her 20 year marriage. Rebecca is a NLP Master Practitioner and Personal Performance Coach working with women to navigate the transition of midlife. She is passionate about midlife as a time for renewal and for living the second half of life with enthusiasm and vigour.

 As a coach she is challenging and fun, motivating and inspiring. Midlife has taught her to be open-minded, to take more risks, to enjoy the simple things and to live each and every day with the question, ‘If not now, when?’ She lives in London and enjoys supporting and being surrounded by her children, spending time with her guy and celebrating life after 50.

 You can contact Rebecca via her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as well as YouTube.

 

 

 

 

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#parenting #parentingwithrespect #parent #mindfulparenting

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Jul 22

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♥️ #parenting #parentingwithrespect #parent #mindfulparenting

karenyoung_heysigmund

Some days are keepers. Thank you Perth for your warmth and wide open arms at the @resilientkidsconference. Gosh I loved today with you so much. Thank you for sharing your stories with me, laughing with me, and joining with us in building brave in the young people in our lives. They are in strong, beautiful hands.

And then there is you @michellemitchell.author, @maggiedentauthor, @drjustincoulson, @nathandubsywant - you multiply the joy of days like today.♥️

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Jul 20

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Some days are keepers. Thank you Perth for your warmth and wide open arms at the @resilientkidsconference. Gosh I loved today with you so much. Thank you for sharing your stories with me, laughing with me, and joining with us in building brave in the young people in our lives. They are in strong, beautiful hands. And then there is you @michellemitchell.author, @maggiedentauthor, @drjustincoulson, @nathandubsywant - you multiply the joy of days like today.♥️

karenyoung_heysigmund

When you can’t cut out (their worries), add in (what they need for felt safety).

Rather than focusing on what we need them to do, shift the focus to what we can do. Make the environment as safe as we can (add in another safe adult), and have so much certainty that they can do this, they can borrow what they need and wrap it around themselves again and again and again.

You already do this when they have to do things that don’t want to do, but which you know are important - brushing their teeth, going to the dentist, not eating ice cream for dinner (too often). The key for living bravely is to also recognise that so many of the things that drive anxiety are equally important.

We also need to ask, as their important adults - ‘Is this scary safe or scary dangerous?’ ‘Do I move them forward into this or protect them from it?’♥️

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Jul 15

Open
When you can’t cut out (their worries), add in (what they need for felt safety). Rather than focusing on what we need them to do, shift the focus to what we can do. Make the environment as safe as we can (add in another safe adult), and have so much certainty that they can do this, they can borrow what they need and wrap it around themselves again and again and again. You already do this when they have to do things that don’t want to do, but which you know are important - brushing their teeth, going to the dentist, not eating ice cream for dinner (too often). The key for living bravely is to also recognise that so many of the things that drive anxiety are equally important. We also need to ask, as their important adults - ‘Is this scary safe or scary dangerous?’ ‘Do I move them forward into this or protect them from it?’♥️

karenyoung_heysigmund

The need to feel connected to, and seen by our people is instinctive.

THE FIX: Add in micro-connections to let them feel you seeing them, loving them, connecting with them, enjoying them:

‘I love being your mum.’
‘I love being your dad.’
‘I missed you today.’
‘I can’t wait to hang out with you at bedtime
and read a story together.’

Or smiling at them, playing with them,
sharing something funny, noticing something about them, ‘remembering when...’ with them.

And our adult loves need the same, as we need the same from them.♥️

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Jul 14

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The need to feel connected to, and seen by our people is instinctive. THE FIX: Add in micro-connections to let them feel you seeing them, loving them, connecting with them, enjoying them: ‘I love being your mum.’ ‘I love being your dad.’ ‘I missed you today.’ ‘I can’t wait to hang out with you at bedtime and read a story together.’ Or smiling at them, playing with them, sharing something funny, noticing something about them, ‘remembering when...’ with them. And our adult loves need the same, as we need the same from them.♥️

karenyoung_heysigmund

Our kids need the same thing we do: to feel safe and loved through all feelings not just the convenient ones.

Gosh it’s hard though. I’ve never lost my (thinking) mind as much at anyone as I have with the people I love most in this world.

We’re human, not bricks, and even though we’re parents we still feel it big sometimes. Sometimes these feelings make it hard for us to be the people we want to be for our loves.

That’s the truth of it, and that’s the duality of being a parent. We love and we fury. We want to connect and we want to pull away. We hold it all together and sometimes we can’t.

None of this is about perfection. It’s about being human, and the best humans feel, argue, fight, reconnect, own our ‘stuff’. We keep working on growing and being more of our everythingness, just in kinder ways.

If we get it wrong, which we will, that’s okay. What’s important is the repair - as soon as we can and not selling it as their fault. Our reaction is our responsibility, not theirs. This might sound like, ‘I’m really sorry I yelled. You didn’t deserve that. I really want to hear what you have to say. Can we try again?’

Of course, none of this means ‘no boundaries’. What it means is adding warmth to the boundary. One without the other will feel unsafe - for them, us, and others.

This means making sure that we’ve claimed responsibility- the ability to respond to what’s happening. It doesn’t mean blame. It means recognising that when a young person is feeling big, they don’t have the resources to lead out of the turmoil, so we have to lead them out - not push them out.

Rather than focusing on what we want them to do, shift the focus to what we can do to bring felt safety and calm back into the space.

THEN when they’re calm talk about what’s happened, the repair, and what to do next time.

Discipline means ‘to teach’, not to punish. They will learn best when they are connected to you. Maybe there is a need for consequences, but these must be about repair and restoration. Punishment is pointless, harmful, and outdated.

Hold the boundary, add warmth. Don’t ask them to do WHEN they can’t do. Wait until they can hear you and work on what’s needed. There’s no hurry.♥️

View

Jul 9

Open
Our kids need the same thing we do: to feel safe and loved through all feelings not just the convenient ones. Gosh it’s hard though. I’ve never lost my (thinking) mind as much at anyone as I have with the people I love most in this world. We’re human, not bricks, and even though we’re parents we still feel it big sometimes. Sometimes these feelings make it hard for us to be the people we want to be for our loves. That’s the truth of it, and that’s the duality of being a parent. We love and we fury. We want to connect and we want to pull away. We hold it all together and sometimes we can’t. None of this is about perfection. It’s about being human, and the best humans feel, argue, fight, reconnect, own our ‘stuff’. We keep working on growing and being more of our everythingness, just in kinder ways. If we get it wrong, which we will, that’s okay. What’s important is the repair - as soon as we can and not selling it as their fault. Our reaction is our responsibility, not theirs. This might sound like, ‘I’m really sorry I yelled. You didn’t deserve that. I really want to hear what you have to say. Can we try again?’ Of course, none of this means ‘no boundaries’. What it means is adding warmth to the boundary. One without the other will feel unsafe - for them, us, and others. This means making sure that we’ve claimed responsibility- the ability to respond to what’s happening. It doesn’t mean blame. It means recognising that when a young person is feeling big, they don’t have the resources to lead out of the turmoil, so we have to lead them out - not push them out. Rather than focusing on what we want them to do, shift the focus to what we can do to bring felt safety and calm back into the space. THEN when they’re calm talk about what’s happened, the repair, and what to do next time. Discipline means ‘to teach’, not to punish. They will learn best when they are connected to you. Maybe there is a need for consequences, but these must be about repair and restoration. Punishment is pointless, harmful, and outdated. Hold the boundary, add warmth. Don’t ask them to do WHEN they can’t do. Wait until they can hear you and work on what’s needed. There’s no hurry.♥️

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