Courage: Direction to the New World

This month’s Linn Academy card is Courage from the Time Traveler deck.

The idea of courage at this point at first seems a challenging one. There are so many FEELINGS right now; things feel uncertain, and expensive, and explosive. 

I wonder, do you too feel like saying no thank you to any new request?  Because you are tired? Because you are all ready so full of things to do?  It feels like an act of courage to go out into the world some times.  

I took a walk to consider the idea of courage. Is it the same thing to have the courage to wear turquoise pants with a lavender top as it is to tell your sister you have double booked again, or schedule a scan you have been avoiding? 

What came up most for me was that courage seems to be the act of setting some sort of change in motion. Something that calls for the gathering of personal power to propel you into an unknown future. 

And the unknown future is is spooky. 

And the messed up thing is that when there is something that I want to say, do, or be, I often convince myself that it takes courage to make it happen There is always the possibility of opposition, real or imagined. Somehow I make that opposition a reason to hesitate- to leave the courage on the shelf and stick with the known. 

So why do I allow what I “think” someone else might think be a reason to not do my thing?

The Time Traveler’s message feels particularly relevant here:

 “There are times to hold back and deliberate about life and times to move forward with passion, power, and daringness.”

Okay, card. Good tip. But how can you tell when it’s time to move forward and when it’s time to think things through a little more? And what about knowing when it’s time to pull back or even turn around? Surely courage doesn’t mean stubbornly pushing ahead with every decision we make.

I think the words on this card offer a pretty good measure. Do you feel passionately about this thing? Can you step forward with certainty and power? Are you willing to accept that someone else might not like your decision?

And perhaps there’s another question to ask: Am I holding back because I’m genuinely reconsidering my decision, or because I’m afraid of what might happen if I move forward?

If your answer is -yes I feel passion, power and certainty- whether it comes in a whisper or a shout, GO FORWARD!

The Time Traveler’s message also says, “It’s time to go forward. Don’t back down,” and finishes with, “Trust that you are unstoppable.”

The picture offers me another clue about courage. The men in this boat have little choice but to keep moving forward. The sea is rough, there is land close on both sides, and storm clouds loom overhead. They need to stay in the middle of the channel and make it to the other side. This is no time to turn around.

They probably set off on a calm day with their pals, and big plans to do a little exploring, a little trading, perhaps a little raiding, and bring back some goodies that they couldn’t get at home.  

And today, things got exciting!

But I don't think this day requires courage. This day requires perseverance.

Your courage kicked in when you got aboard the ship and were willing to make a change. Now you’re along for the ride, and you need to rely on your own skills and those of your companions to see you through this wild stretch of water.

The bottom of the card reads, “Vikings in the New World.”

Isn’t that the truth?

When you make a different choice than you’ve made in the past, when you make a choice that might not be fully supported by the people around you, or even when you make a supported but uncertain choice, you enter a new world. 

The rules are different. Everything has changed. You may not know exactly what lies ahead, and you may have to learn new ways of navigating your life.

If you look around you will realize that what is going on today is not unlike what has gone on through history. Change brings uncertainty. You don’t know how things will turn out and once you’ve made your choice, you need perseverance to keep going when the waters get rough. 

But it takes courage to set out in the first place.  

So what changes are you leaving on the shelf? Maybe it is time to climb aboard and find your new world.